Man Held At Mumbai Airport For Smuggling 16 Exotic Snakes Hidden in Chocolate Boxes
Customs at Mumbai airport caught a man smuggling 16 exotic snakes from Thailand. The snakes were hidden in pouches among chocolates.
Customs officials at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have apprehended a man trying to smuggle 16 exotic snakes from Thailand.
The accused, identified as Goodman Linford Leo, a Tamil Nadu resident, was caught red-handed by Mumbai Airport Customs on June 27. Officials got suspicious due to Leo's uncanny movement, and his check-in baggage was scanned.
Upon scanning, the airport officials found five Albino Honduran milk snakes, two garter snakes, two Kenyan sand boas, a coastal banded California king snake, five rhinoceros rat snakes and an albino rat snake. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau identified the snakes that were concealed in 15 white pouches and camouflaged among chocolates.
Notably, this is the third such seizure this month.
Earlier this month, Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) held a passenger attempting to smuggle 52 live reptiles. This passenger arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG317. He was flagged by the officials due to unusual behaviour and intelligence. Upon scanning his baggage, the officials were shocked to find 52 live reptiles.
Among them were three Spider-Tailed Horned Vipers, a rare desert snake species. The officers also found five Asian Leaf Turtles, a species native to Southeast Asia and frequently targeted in the exotic pet trade. Additionally, 44 Indonesian Pit Vipers were also found.
Customs officers informed the concerned authorities. The Spider-Tailed Horned Viper and Asian Leaf Turtle are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The passenger was arrested under relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962.
Another reptile smuggling racket was busted at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. Customs officials seized a variety of exotic species, including Californian king snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons and tortoises from a man who was on his way to Chennai from Hong Kong.
First Published:
June 30, 2025, 13:10 IST
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