Latest news with #CustomsOfficials
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Indian man arrested with 47 venomous vipers in bag at Mumbai airport
Authorities in India have arrested a man for trying to smuggle dozens of rare reptiles, including venomous snakes, into the country. The Indian citizen, who was returning from Thailand, was stopped by customs officials at the airport in Mumbai city on Sunday. Officials said the reptiles, including 47 venomous vipers, were found concealed in the man's checked-in luggage. The reptiles have been seized under various wildlife protection laws in India. The passenger has not been named and as he is in custody. He has not commented on his arrest. Customs officials have released photographs on X of colourful snakes squirming in a dish. In their post, they said they had seized three spider-tailed horned vipers, five Asian leaf turtles and 44 Indonesian pit vipers from the passenger. It isn't clear where the reptiles had been sourced from. Leopard cub found in passenger's luggage at Indian airport Rare Madagascar tortoises seized at Mumbai airport While it is not illegal to import animals into the country, India's wildlife protection law bans the import of certain species, including those classified as endangered or protected by the government. A passenger also needs to get the required permits and licenses before importing any wildlife. Reports of customs officials seizing banned wildlife from passengers trying to smuggle them into the country are not uncommon. In January, Indian authorities arrested a Canadian man at the Delhi airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage and month later, officials at the Mumbai airport stopped a passenger carrying five Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The gibbons, listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were concealed in a plastic crate placed inside the passenger's trolley bag. In November, customs officers arrested two passengers returning from Bangkok for carrying12 exotic turtles. In 2019, officials at the Chennai airport seized a horned pit viper snake, five Iguanas, four blue-tongued skinks, three green tree frogs and 22 Egyptian tortoises from a man travelling from Thailand. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Indian man arrested with venomous vipers in bag at Mumbai airport
Authorities in India have arrested a man for trying to smuggle dozens of rare reptiles, including poisonous snakes, into the country. The Indian citizen, who was returning from Thailand, was stopped by customs officials at the airport in Mumbai city on Sunday. Officials said the reptiles, including 44 venomous vipers, were found concealed in the man's checked-in luggage. The reptiles have been seized under various wildlife protection laws in India. The passenger has not been named and as he is in custody. He has not commented on his arrest. Customs officials have released photographs on X of colourful snakes squirming in a dish. In their post, they said they had seized three spider-tailed horned vipers, five Asian leaf turtles and 44 Indonesian pit vipers from the passenger. It isn't clear where the reptiles had been sourced from. Leopard cub found in passenger's luggage at Indian airport Rare Madagascar tortoises seized at Mumbai airport While it is not illegal to import animals into the country, India's wildlife protection law bans the import of certain species, including those classified as endangered or protected by the government. A passenger also needs to get the required permits and licenses before importing any wildlife. Reports of customs officials seizing banned wildlife from passengers trying to smuggle them into the country are not uncommon. In January, Indian authorities arrested a Canadian man at the Delhi airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage and month later, officials at the Mumbai airport stopped a passenger carrying five Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The gibbons, listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were concealed in a plastic crate placed inside the passenger's trolley bag. In November, customs officers arrested two passengers returning from Bangkok for carrying12 exotic turtles. In 2019, officials at the Chennai airport seized a horned pit viper snake, five Iguanas, four blue-tongued skinks, three green tree frogs and 22 Egyptian tortoises from a man travelling from Thailand. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
India: Man arrested with dozens of venomous vipers at Mumbai airport
Authorities in India have arrested a man for trying to smuggle dozens of rare reptiles, including poisonous snakes, into the Indian citizen, who was returning from Thailand, was stopped by customs officials at the airport in Mumbai city on said the reptiles, including 44 venomous vipers, were found concealed in the man's checked-in reptiles have been seized under various wildlife protection laws in India. The passenger has not been named and as he is in custody. He has not commented on his officials have released photographs on X of colourful snakes squirming in a their post, they said they had seized three spider-tailed horned vipers, five Asian leaf turtles and 44 Indonesian pit vipers from the isn't clear where the reptiles had been sourced cub found in passenger's luggage at Indian airportRare Madagascar tortoises seized at Mumbai airportWhile it is not illegal to import animals into the country, India's wildlife protection law bans the import of certain species, including those classified as endangered or protected by the government.A passenger also needs to get the required permits and licenses before importing any of customs officials seizing banned wildlife from passengers trying to smuggle them into the country are not January, Indian authorities arrested a Canadian man at the Delhi airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage and month later, officials at the Mumbai airport stopped a passenger carrying five Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and gibbons, listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were concealed in a plastic crate placed inside the passenger's trolley November, customs officers arrested two passengers returning from Bangkok for carrying12 exotic turtles. In 2019, officials at the Chennai airport seized a horned pit viper snake, five Iguanas, four blue-tongued skinks, three green tree frogs and 22 Egyptian tortoises from a man travelling from BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Indian smuggler caught with 44 venomous vipers in luggage
A passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers was stopped after flying into the financial capital Mumbai from Thailand , according to Indian customs officials. The snakes, which included 44 Indonesian pit vipers, were 'concealed in checked-in baggage', Mumbai Customs said in a statement late on Sunday. 'An Indian national arriving from Thailand was arrested,' it added. The passenger, details of whom were not released, also had three spider-tailed horned vipers – which are venomous, but usually only target small prey such as birds – as well as five Asian leaf turtles. Three spider-tailed horned vipers were also found in the passenger's luggage on Sunday. Photo: X/MumbaiCus3 Mumbai Customs issued photographs of the seized snakes, including blue and yellow reptiles squirming in a bucket.
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Snakes on a plane: Authorities arrest Indian smuggler caught with venomous vipers
A passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers was stopped after flying into the financial capital Mumbai from Thailand, Indian customs officials said. The snakes, which included 44 Indonesian pit vipers, were 'concealed in checked-in baggage', Mumbai Customs said in a statement late Sunday. 'An Indian national arriving from Thailand was arrested,' it added. The passenger, details of whom were not released, also had three Spider-tailed horned vipers -- which are venomous, but usually only target small prey such as birds -- as well as five Asian leaf turtles. Mumbai Customs issued photographs of the seized snakes, including blue and yellow reptiles squirming in a bucket. The snakes are a relatively unusual seizure in Mumbai, with customs officers more regularly posting pictures of hauls of smuggled gold, cash, cannabis or pills of suspected cocaine swallowed by passengers. However, in February, customs officials at Mumbai airport also stopped a smuggler with five Siamang gibbons, a small ape native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Those small creatures, listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were 'ingeniously concealed' in a plastic crate placed inside the passenger's trolley bag, customs officers said. In November, customs officers seized a passenger carrying a wriggling live cargo of 12 turtles, and a month before, four hornbill birds, all on planes arriving from Thailand. In September, two passengers were arrested with five juvenile caimans, a reptile in the alligator family.
