Wildlife smuggling attempt: Snakes on a plane bound for India, again
"Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from passenger returning from Thailand," said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub.
The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation underway".
The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, and were largely non-venomous, or with venom too weak to affect people.
They included garter snakes, a rhino rat snake and a Kenyan sand boa, among others.
In early June, customs officers stopped a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand.
Days later, officers stopped another traveller carrying 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums.
Wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, which battles the smuggling of wild animals and plants, has warned of a "very troubling" trend in trafficking driven by the exotic pet trade.
More than 7,000 animals, dead and alive, have been seized along the Thailand-India air route in the last 3.5 years, it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE conveys sincere condolences to Afghanistan after bus collision kills dozens
The United Arab Emirates expressed its solidarity with Afghanistan and conveyed its sincere condolences over victims of the traffic accident bus collision which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries in Herat province, western Afghanistan. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) conveyed the UAE's sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the people of Afghanistan over this tragedy, along with its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured. The death toll from a collision between a bus carrying Afghan migrants returning from Iran and two other vehicles in western Afghanistan has risen to 78, provincial officials said on Wednesday. Seventy-six people died in the accident in Herat province's Guzara district on Tuesday night when the passenger bus hit a motorcycle and a truck transporting fuel, causing an explosive fire, officials and eyewitnesses said. Two of the three survivors later died of their injuries, officials said on Wednesday. "Two injured individuals from last night's incident succumbed to severe injuries, increasing the number of victims to 78," a statement by the provincial information department said, citing representatives of the military hospital that received victims. Seventeen children were among those killed, according to army spokesman Mujeebullah Ansar, though a provincial police source put the number at 19.
Khaleej Times
19 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Man who 'attacked' Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta in police custody
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta was reportedly attacked by a man during the weekly Jan Sunvai (public hearing) at her residence, several Indian media reports said. The man is said to have given the CM some papers during the public hearing and then allegedly attacked her. Delhi Police say that the accused has identified himself as Rajesh Khimji and says that he belongs to Rajkot, Gujarat. It is being verified whether his name and address are accurate. Delhi Police have taken him into custody at Civil lines station. It is being verified whether his name and address are accurate, ANI reported. The weekly Jan Sunvai event at the chief minister's residence allows citizens to present their grievances directly. Strongly condemning the incident, Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva said that Gupta's condition is stable now. Speaking to reporters, he said, 'During Jan Sunvai this morning, CM was speaking with the public like she always does. A man approached her, presented some paper and suddenly held her hand while trying to pull her towards him. During this, there was a little jostling... People nabbed him. Who is he, and all other details are being investigated by the Police... The CM is stable. Doctors have examined her."
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Watch: Oman foils attempt to smuggle 12kg of marijuana through Muscat airport
An attempt to smuggle 12kg of marijuana into Oman has been foiled by customs officers at Muscat International Airport. A video posted to X appears to show the traveller putting her bags through the airport's security X-ray before a customs officer cuts them open to reveal the drugs. "Muscat International Airport Customs has foiled a Chinese traveller's attempt to smuggle 12.660kg of marijuana, which was tightly hidden inside her personal bag," the post said. It follows an operation carried out by the country's General Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, revealed on Monday. Two people of Asian nationality were arrested in Matrah for possession of more than 60kg of crystal meth and hashish with intent to traffick, and legal procedures are being completed against them, Omani Police said.
