Chennai man smuggles 16 live snakes on Bangkok-Mumbai flight, arrested
Customs officials at the Mumbai International Airport have arrested a Chennai man attempting to smuggle 16 live exotic snakes from Thailand - the third major wildlife trafficking case at the airport this month. Among the seized reptiles were two Kenyan sand boas, five rhinoceros rat snakes, three albino snakes, and more.
The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Goodman Linford Leo from Chennai, arrived on a flight from Bangkok on Friday night. Upon inspection of his baggage, customs officials discovered cotton bags containing the live reptiles, a mix of rare and exotic species.
"Customs officers at CSMI Airport, Mumbai Customs Zone-III foiled yet another wild life smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes-Garter, Rhino Rat, Albino Rat, Kenyan Sand Boa, CA King etc. seized from passenger returning from Thailand. Passenger arrested. Further investigation underway," the Customs Department said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Among the seized reptiles were two Kenyan sand boas, five rhinoceros rat snakes, three albino snakes, two Honduran milk snakes, one California kingsnake, two garter snakes, and one albino rat snake. Most of the snakes were non-venomous or carried venom too weak to pose a serious risk to humans, officials said.
Leo was arrested under the Customs Act for illegally smuggling exotic wildlife. Preliminary investigations suggest he may be part of a wider international trafficking syndicate. A probe is currently underway.
Wildlife experts from the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare assisted customs officials in identifying and safely handling the animals. Authorities are now coordinating with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to repatriate the snakes to Thailand under the Wildlife Protection Act.
This marks the third such wildlife seizure in Mumbai in June alone. Earlier this month, customs stopped one traveler attempting to bring in dozens of venomous vipers. Just days later, another smuggler was caught with 100 exotic animals, including sunbirds, lizards, and possums.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Snakes on a plane bound for India, again
Customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure this month. "Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from passenger returning from Thailand," said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub. The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation underway". The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, and were largely non-venomous, or with venom too weak to affect people. They included garter snakes, a rhino rat snake and a Kenyan sand boa, among others. In early June, customs officers stopped a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand. Days later, officers stopped another traveller carrying 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums. Wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, which battles the smuggling of wild animals and plants, has 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 3.5 years, it said.
NDTV
16 hours ago
- NDTV
Wriggling Cargo: Mumbai Customs Seize 16 Snakes From Passenger Returning From Thailand
India: Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they have stopped a plane passenger arriving from Thailand with a wriggling cargo of live snakes, the third such seizure this month. "Customs officers... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes... seized from passenger returning from Thailand," said customs officers in the airport in the Indian financial hub. The passenger, who arrived on Sunday, has been arrested, the customs agency said in a statement, with "further investigation underway". The live snakes included reptiles often sold in the pet trade, and were largely non-venomous, or with venom too weak to affect people. They included garter snakes, a rhino rat snake and a Kenyan sand boa, among others. In early June, customs officers stopped a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand. Days later, officers stopped another traveller carrying 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums. Wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, which battles the smuggling of wild animals and plants, has 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 3.5 years, it said.
News18
18 hours ago
- News18
Man Held At Mumbai Airport For Smuggling 16 Exotic Snakes Hidden in Chocolate Boxes
Last Updated: Customs at Mumbai airport caught a man smuggling 16 exotic snakes from Thailand. The snakes were hidden in pouches among chocolates. Customs officials at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have apprehended a man trying to smuggle 16 exotic snakes from Thailand. The accused, identified as Goodman Linford Leo, a Tamil Nadu resident, was caught red-handed by Mumbai Airport Customs on June 27. Officials got suspicious due to Leo's uncanny movement, and his check-in baggage was scanned. Upon scanning, the airport officials found five Albino Honduran milk snakes, two garter snakes, two Kenyan sand boas, a coastal banded California king snake, five rhinoceros rat snakes and an albino rat snake. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau identified the snakes that were concealed in 15 white pouches and camouflaged among chocolates. Notably, this is the third such seizure this month. Earlier this month, Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) held a passenger attempting to smuggle 52 live reptiles. This passenger arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG317. He was flagged by the officials due to unusual behaviour and intelligence. Upon scanning his baggage, the officials were shocked to find 52 live reptiles. Among them were three Spider-Tailed Horned Vipers, a rare desert snake species. The officers also found five Asian Leaf Turtles, a species native to Southeast Asia and frequently targeted in the exotic pet trade. Additionally, 44 Indonesian Pit Vipers were also found. Customs officers informed the concerned authorities. The Spider-Tailed Horned Viper and Asian Leaf Turtle are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The passenger was arrested under relevant sections of the Customs Act, 1962. Another reptile smuggling racket was busted at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. Customs officials seized a variety of exotic species, including Californian king snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons and tortoises from a man who was on his way to Chennai from Hong Kong. First Published: June 30, 2025, 13:10 IST
