Customs keep receiving something or the other from tourists coming to India from abroad. This time, the customs have captured live animals from a foreign tourist. The animals included monkeys, snakes and tortoises. They were all found inside the luggage of a passenger who landed at the Chennai airport from Bangkok. The accused has been kept anonymous. He was intercepted and searched by customs officials based on intelligence inputs.
All rare species
Upon search, one monkey, fifteen king snakes, five ball pythons and two Aldabra tortoises were found alive inside the passenger’s luggage, officials reveal. All the animals found are rare in nature.
All of the found animals were illegally imported, and hence, repatriated to the original country by Thai Airways after the consultation with the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service was done. Officials confide that a probe is now ongoing so as to understand how did the accused bring in so many live animals to India.
Accused in jail
A case has been filed under the Wildlife Protection Act against the apprehended passenger and the department of concern has been informed about the same. The accused was brought in front of the local court. In the court hearing, the court accepted the demand of customs to send him to judicial custody for 14 days. The accused is currently in Chennai jail.
