
Smuggler with bag full of venomous viper snakes stopped by India customs
A checked bag filled with creatures from your nightmares was stopped by international customs in Mumbai over the weekend, leading to an arrest.
Mumbai Customs officers said they seized a checked bag on Sunday from a passenger arriving from Thailand.
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A closer inspection of the bag revealed three spider-tailed horned viper snakes, five Asian leaf turtles, and 44 Indonesian pit viper snakes.
Photos show the smuggled reptiles after the discovery, including a tray full of turtles and a bucket of venomous blue and green snakes.
According to Australian Geographic, pit vipers can be found in blue and green on the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia.
Blue pit vipers are some of the rarest of their species, according to the outlet.
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This isn't the first – or last – walk on the wild side for customs officers in India.
4 Mumbai Customs officers said they seized a checked bag on Sunday from a passenger arriving from Thailand.
Mumbai Customs-III
4 A spider-tailed horned viper was seized.
Mumbai Customs-III
4 Photos show the smuggled reptiles after the discovery, including a tray full of turtles and a bucket of venomous blue and green snakes.
Mumbai Customs-III
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4 Blue pit vipers are some of the rarest of their species, according to the outlet.
Mumbai Customs-III
Photos of most seizures by Mumbai customs show mostly drugs and gold, but in February, officers also stopped the smuggling of five Siamang Gibbons.
The monkeys are an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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Indonesia arrests foreign nationals in Bali on drugs charges that could carry the death penalty
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Indonesia arrests foreign nationals in Bali on drugs charges that could carry the death penalty
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali on Thursday announced the arrests of several foreign nationals, including an Australian, an Indian, and an American, on suspicion of possessing narcotics, charges that could carry the death penalty. Customs officers at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport arrested an Indian national with the initials H.V., who was carrying a duffel bag, in the customs and excise inspection area on May 29. The officers found narcotic-related items in his belongings, authorities said. Following up on the interrogation of H.V., later that day, officers from the National Narcotics Agency of Bali Province arrested an Australian man with the initials P.R., who has been visiting Bali since 1988. P.R. asked H.V. to bring the duffel bag from Los Angeles to Bali, said I Made Sinar Subawa, an official from the narcotics agency, at a news conference. During a search at a house where he stayed, officers found some narcotics in the form of hashish, a cannabis concentrate product, that belonged to P.R. and had been purchased over the Telegram messaging app. The hashish was shipped from Los Angeles and Philippines before finally received in Bali, Subawa said. Officers seized 191 grams (6.7 ounces) of hashish along with some candies consisting of tetrahydrocannabinol, and 488 grams (17.2 ounces) of marijuana. Both P.R. and H.V. are now suspected of dealing in narcotics, based on the evidence that was found with them, Subawa said. 'P.R. is suspected of violating Indonesia's Narcotics Law which carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a minimum of four years and a maximum of 12 years,' said Subawa. Along with H.V. and P.R., the agency also arrested W.M., an American, on May 23 while he was collecting a package from a post office in Bali. An officer opened the package carried by W.M. and found seven pieces of silver packaging containing a total of 99 orange amphetamine pills and secured one white Apple iPhone brand cellphone. The agency, at a news conference in the city of Denpasar on Thursday presented the evidence, including marijuana and hashish, seized from the suspects. All suspects will undergo legal proceedings in Indonesia, including trial and sentencing. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. The Southeast Asian country has extremely strict drug laws, and convicted smugglers can face severe penalties, including the possibility of execution by firing squad. On Tuesday, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram (over two pounds) of cocaine into Indonesia were charged Tuesday in a court on Bali, while on May 27, an Australian man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine. If convicted, any or all of them could face the death penalty. About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, latest figures from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections show. Indonesia's last executions , of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. ___ Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


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an hour ago
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Indonesia arrests foreign nationals in Bali on drugs charges that could carry the death penalty
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali on Thursday announced the arrests of several foreign nationals, including an Australian, an Indian, and an American, on suspicion of possessing narcotics, charges that could carry the death penalty. Customs officers at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport arrested an Indian national with the initials H.V., who was carrying a duffel bag, in the customs and excise inspection area on May 29. The officers found narcotic-related items in his belongings, authorities said. Following up on the interrogation of H.V., later that day, officers from the National Narcotics Agency of Bali Province arrested an Australian man with the initials P.R., who has been visiting Bali since 1988. P.R. asked H.V. to bring the duffel bag from Los Angeles to Bali, said I Made Sinar Subawa, an official from the narcotics agency, at a news conference. During a search at a house where he stayed, officers found some narcotics in the form of hashish, a cannabis concentrate product, that belonged to P.R. and had been purchased over the Telegram messaging app. The hashish was shipped from Los Angeles and Philippines before finally received in Bali, Subawa said. Officers seized 191 grams (6.7 ounces) of hashish along with some candies consisting of tetrahydrocannabinol, and 488 grams (17.2 ounces) of marijuana. Both P.R. and H.V. are now suspected of dealing in narcotics, based on the evidence that was found with them, Subawa said. 'P.R. is suspected of violating Indonesia's Narcotics Law which carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a minimum of four years and a maximum of 12 years,' said Subawa. Along with H.V. and P.R., the agency also arrested W.M., an American, on May 23 while he was collecting a package from a post office in Bali. An officer opened the package carried by W.M. and found seven pieces of silver packaging containing a total of 99 orange amphetamine pills and secured one white Apple iPhone brand cellphone. The agency, at a news conference in the city of Denpasar on Thursday presented the evidence, including marijuana and hashish, seized from the suspects. All suspects will undergo legal proceedings in Indonesia, including trial and sentencing. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. The Southeast Asian country has extremely strict drug laws, and convicted smugglers can face severe penalties, including the possibility of execution by firing squad. On Tuesday, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram (over two pounds) of cocaine into Indonesia were charged Tuesday in a court on Bali, while on May 27, an Australian man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine. If convicted, any or all of them could face the death penalty. About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, latest figures from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections show. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. ___ Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.