Indian smuggler stopped with possums, lizards, tarantulas
More than 7,000 animals have been seized along the Thailand-India air route in the last 3½ years. (Thai customs/AFP pic)
MUMBAI : Indian customs officers made the latest 'significant' seizure of endangered wildlife from a passenger arriving from Thailand, a government statement said, carrying nearly 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums.
Customs officers said the passenger, who was also carrying two tarantula spiders and tortoises, had 'exhibited signs of nervousness' on arrival at India's financial capital Mumbai.
The seizure comes after a passenger was stopped smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand, earlier in June.
Wildlife seized included iguanas, as well as a kinkajou or honey bear – a small raccoon-like animal from Mexico's rainforests – as well as six 'sugar gliders', a gliding possum found in Australia.
Photographs released by the customs unit showed the six sugar gliders huddled together in a basket, as well as a box crammed with lizards.
'In a significant operation, customs officers… intercepted an Indian national… leading to the seizure of multiple live and deceased wildlife species, some of which are protected under wildlife protection laws', the ministry of finance said in a statement late yesterday.
Wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, which battles the smuggling of wild animals and plants, today warned of a 'very troubling' trend in trafficking driven by the exotic pet trade.
More than 7,000 animals, dead and alive, have been seized along the Thailand-India air route in the last 3½ years, it said.
Customs officers at Mumbai airport are more used to seizing smuggled gold, cash or cannabis – but instances of wildlife seizure have seen a gradual rise recently.
Customs officers seized dozens of snakes and several turtles from an Indian national flying from Thailand earlier in June.
Among them were several spider-tailed horned vipers, a venomous species only described by scientists in 2006 and classed as 'near-threatened' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
TRAFFIC said its analysis showed that while most cases involve animals smuggled out of Thailand, more than 80% of interceptions happened in India.
'The almost-weekly discoveries and diversity of wildlife en route to India is very troubling,' said TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia director Kanitha Krishnasamy.
Many of those captured were alive, which 'shows that the clamour for exotic pets is driving the trade', she added.
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 IUCN, were 'ingeniously concealed' in a plastic crate placed inside the passenger's trolley bag, customs officers said.
In November, authorities found a passenger carrying a wriggling live cargo of 12 turtles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Gridlock at Woodlands: Three-hour wait for JB-bound travellers today, says Singapore's ICA
SINGAPORE, June 21 — Travellers heading into Malaysia today are facing bumper-to-bumper delays, with Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) warning of a three-hour or longer wait at the Woodlands Checkpoint. In a Facebook update at 8.15am, the ICA cited 'very heavy departure traffic' caused by a tailback from Malaysia. The congestion has spilled beyond Exit 10A of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), causing significant delays for motorists. With the June school holidays drawing to a close on June 29, authorities expect heavy traffic at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints to continue, particularly over the weekends. Motorists were also reminded to follow traffic rules. Earlier this month, the ICA said drivers caught jumping the queue will be ordered to make a U-turn to rejoin the back. Repeat offenders risk being blacklisted and could face disciplinary action. The ICA continues to urge travellers to plan ahead, check real-time traffic updates, and remain patient amid the expected congestion.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Two Singaporeans busted in Thailand for running cross-border vice ring
SINGAPORE, June 20 — Two Singaporean men believed to be key figures in a transnational vice syndicate have been arrested in Thailand following a joint operation between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Royal Thai Police (RTP). According to Channel News Asia, a Thai national was also detained in the cross-border crackdown on June 17. Investigations into the criminal group began in 2023, after more than 70 vice workers arrested in Singapore were linked to the same network. 'Investigations against the vice workers established useful information against the vice syndicate,' SPF said in a statement. The arrests followed close cooperation between the SPF's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Technology Crime Suppression Division of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Shared intelligence allowed authorities to identify the three suspects. The 38-year-old Singaporean allegedly used a 'complex network of bank accounts' to transfer prostitution proceeds from Singapore to Thailand. The second Singaporean, aged 36, is believed to have supported the syndicate's cross-border operations. The men were arrested under the Thai Criminal Code. Assets worth more than 20 million baht (RM2.4 million), including cash, two condos, and various digital devices, were seized by Thai officers. In Singapore, more than S$1.26 million in suspected criminal proceeds was frozen from the older suspect's bank accounts. Investigations are ongoing.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Sarawak police: Man arrested in Kuching for flashing airsoft gun at traffic light
KUCHING, June 20 — The police have arrested a motorist who was suspected of flashing what appeared to be a 'gun' while driving a car here. The arrest was confirmed by the Sarawak Commissioner of Police, Dato Mancha Ata when contacted. 'The suspect has been arrested, and an airsoft gun has been seized. The case is under investigation,' he said. Videos and photos of the person flashing a gun at a traffic light intersection have been widely shared on social media. The airsoft gun and some items seized by the police. – Picture from Facebook It is believed that the suspect was detained at his home. Airsoft guns are replica firearms that shoot small ball bearings using compressed air or gas, rather than bullets. They are prohibited in Malaysia under Section 36 of the Arms Act. Offenders, upon conviction, may face up to one year's imprisonment, a fine, or both. — The Borneo Post
