BRAND-NEW DELHI – The Indian airport authorities discovered 22 snakes in the luggage of a female who came to Chennai airport from Kuala Lumpur, said the Chennai customizeds department on April 29.
The female guest was “intercepted” after showing up on an AirAsia flight on April 28.
On assessment of her checked-in luggage, 22 snakes of different types and a chameleon were discovered and taken under the customizeds and wildlife security laws, it said.
The reptiles were crammed in transparent plastic containers, according to regional media reports.
Reptiles are amongst the types in high need in the prohibited wildlife sell India and their seizures at airports are not unusual.
In January this year, 45 ball pythons, 3 marmosets, 3 star tortoises, and 8 corn snakes were taken at Chennai from a guest showing up from Thailand.
In October 2022, the authorities took 1,204 reptiles of unique types such as ball python, green iguana, screen lizard, corn snakes and African stimulated tortoise at Chennai, according to a yearly report of India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
