Latest news with #MumbaiCustoms
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Tribune
Snakes on a plane: 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 checkedin 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.
New York Post
2 days ago
- General
- New York Post
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 Advertisement 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.
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Snakes on a plane? Try 44 in a suitcase
Customs officers in Mumbai discovered dozens of venomous vipers, including rare Indonesian species, hidden inside the luggage of a passenger arriving from Thailand. 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.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Passenger stopped for smuggling over 40 snakes
Venomous cargo: Three spider-tailed horned vipers, five Asian leaf turtles and 44 Indonesian pit vipers were among the animals concealed in checked-in baggage. — Photo courtesy of Mumbai Customs on X 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 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. — AFP
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Snakes on a plane: Indian smuggler caught with venomous vipers
MUMBAI: 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.
