From spiders to pythons, passenger at Chennai airport caught with live animals in bagA range of animals from pythons to chameleons were found in the bag of a passenger arriving at the Chennai International Airport from Malayasia late on Thursday night.

Habeeb Nashtar (44) from Ramanathapuram arrived in the Malyasian flight MH180. The bag with different cases and boxes consisted of two mongoose, three white squirrels, four red pythons, nine spiders and two chameleons, a customs release said.

While screening the parcels, officials found these animals in the bag. The forest department officials were called in immediately by airport officials who took them to a rescue centre in Velachery.

A custom official told The Times of India, “Habeeb did not have any valid documents and hence the animals were seized and handed over to the wildlife authorities.”

There are various conflicting reasons as to what Habeeb planned to do with the animals. While one source said that Habeeb had brought them to rear as pets, the forest department said that the passenger was not aware that there were live animals inside his bag, The New Indian Express reported.