Mumbai: Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport seized 36 exotic animals from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, officials said on Sunday.
Exotic Animals Found Concealed in Luggage
The animals, hidden inside the passenger’s luggage, included squirrel monkeys, raccoons, iguanas, monitor lizards, and bearded dragons, according to a forest official who examined the seized creatures. Unfortunately, three animals had died, while several others showed signs of suffering due to suffocation and starvation.
Authorities stated that the animals will be deported under the Wildlife Protection Act to their country of origin.
Customs Foil Foreign Currency Smuggling Cases
In two separate cases on Saturday, Mumbai Airport Customs officials arrested passengers