37 exotic reptiles deported from airport for violations
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Hyderabad: The Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS), Hyderabad, deported 37 live exotic animals, including snakes and turtles, to Thailand on Saturday after they were brought into India without valid permits.
According to a deportation order issued on May 30, the consignment arrived from Bangkok to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad, in Hyderabad. The shipment, brought in by two individuals — Shaikh Najmuddin Iqbal and Shaikh Altaf Ali Jahid Ali — lacked mandatory no-objection certificates, DGFT licenses, or permissions required under Indian law.
The AQCS acted based on an alert from the customs department and identified the illegal entry of these wild animals, which included 28 red-tailed bamboo pit vipers (Trimeresurus erythrurus), six four-eyed turtles (Sacalia quadriocellata), and three spider-tailed horned vipers (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides).
Of these, the turtles and the horned vipers are listed under Appendix-II of the CITES agreement and Schedule-IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, while the pit vipers are covered under Schedule-II, which includes all species of Viperidae family.
The AQCS order stated that the deportation was essential to safeguard national livestock health and ensure compliance with rules. The cost of deportation was directed to be borne by the owners or concerned airline.
IndiGo airlines was instructed to carry out the deportation and report compliance to AQCS. The action was formally endorsed by Dr Sonia Sharma, joint commissioner, AQCS Hyderabad.
The notice was also copied to superintendent of customs, air intelligence unit at RGIA, deputy commissioner (trade) in the ministry of fisheries and animal husbandry in New Delhi, and concerned airlines
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