Customs officials at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have arrested a man smuggling 16 rare species of exotic snakes from Thailand.
The accused has been identified as Goodman Linford Leo, a resident of Tamil Nadu, who was caught red-handed by the officials on June 27. His check-in bag was scanned after Leo’s activities were suspected.
During investigation, officials found 5 albino Honduran milk snakes, 2 garter snakes, 2 Kenyan sand boas, 1 coastal banded California king snake, 5 rhinoceros rat snakes and 1 albino rat snake. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau identified these snakes, which were hidden in 15 white bags and concealed among chocolates.
It is worth noting that this is the third case of smuggling in the month of June.
Earlier this month, another passenger was caught at Mumbai airport, who had arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG317 and was smuggling 52 live reptiles. Due to his suspicious behavior, his bag was searched, in which the officials found a shocking number of live reptiles.
These included three rare desert species of spider-tailed horned vipers, five Asian leaf turtles and 44 Indonesian pit vipers. These species often become part of the exotic pet market.
In this regard, the customs officials informed the wildlife department and related agencies. Spider-tailed horned vipers and Asian leaf turtles are listed in Schedule-II of CITES and Schedule-IV of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The passenger was arrested under relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962.
Apart from this, a smuggling case was also reported at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, where several rare exotic species like Californian king snake, monitor lizard, chameleon and turtle were recovered from a person who was travelling from Hong Kong to Chennai.
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