The Customs department in Chennai, on January 11, seized several exotic animals such as ball pythons, marmosets, star tortoises and corn snakes. The animals were found in two unattended bags, near the baggage claim belt at the Chennai International Airport. The bags contained 45 ball pythons, three marmosets, three star tortoises and eight corn snakes. The bags were found to have belonged to a passenger who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand. The animals were all deported to Bangkok the next day on January 12, based on a deportation order issued by the Department of Animal Quarantine and Certification Service. Further investigation is ongoing, the Customs department said.
Illegally trafficked wild animals of various exotic species are frequently detected at the Chennai airport, transported from places like Bangkok to be raised as pets by wealthy individuals in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. In 2022 alone, eleven instances of smuggling of exotic species of wildlife were detected by Customs officials, mostly from Bangkok. These cases involved exotic animals such as albino porcupines, white-lipped/red-chested tamarins, leucistic sugar gliders, De Brazza’s monkeys, kingsnakes, ball pythons, and Aldabra tortoises. The animals were detained under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, the Customs department had said in a recent press statement.
(1/2) On 11.01.23, two un-attended bags found near baggage claim belt of a pax who arrived from Bangkok by FD-153 were examined by Customs.
— Chennai Customs (@ChennaiCustoms) January 16, 2023
On examination, 45-Ball Pythons, 3-Marmoset, 3-Star Tortoise and 8-Corn Snakes were recovered.
Further investigation is under progress. pic.twitter.com/JHxFwQbqxU
Apart from exotic animals, the Customs department also seized over 200 kilograms of gold worth Rs 94 crore, along with foreign currencies and narcotic substances, in 2022. Between January and December 2022, 205 kg of gold worth Rs 94.22 crore was seized in 293 cases of which the majority of the smuggled precious metal was from passengers who arrived in Chennai from Dubai, Sharjah and some other Gulf locations, the overview of the year shared by the Customs department said.