Chennai, Sept 14 (BPNS)
Customs officials on Thursday early morning seized ball pythons and an African squirrel from a passenger who reached from Thailand.
The officials were checking the baggage of passengers who had reached Chennai international airport from Bangkok when they found a man under suspicious circumstances with two plastic bags.
The Customs officers intercepted him and on enquiry he said that he was carrying plastic toys in the bags. However on finding that the passenger was hiding something and that he was nervous, the customs team opened the baggage only two snakes and a squirrel.
Wild Life officials and Tamil Nadu forest department officials reached the airport and on further enquiry it was found that snakes were ball pythons and the squirrel was of African origin.
The passengers informed the Customs officials that he bought the exotic wild life at a low price in Thailand and was expecting to sell it at a higher price in Chennai. However he did not have the required papers and seized the exotic animals which will be deported back to Thailand.
The passenger was arrested and produced before judicial magistrate court.
It may be noted that Chennai and other international airports in Tamil Nadu has been a hub of smuggling of exotic wild life from far eastern countries. Tamil Nadu Police has also been on the pursuit of several people who used to smuggle in exotic animals into the country through the international airports of the state.
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