Latest news with #wildlifesmuggling
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Plane Passenger Caught Carrying 16 Live Snakes in Luggage
Customs officers in India discovered a plane passenger attempting to carry on more than a dozen snakes in their luggage "Customs officers ... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes ... seized from a passenger returning from Thailand," customs officers said Most of the snakes were nonvenomous or not dangerous to humans, including garter snakes, a rhino rat snake, a Kenyan sand boa and moreCustoms officers in India were in for a surprise when they discovered a plane passenger flying with more than a dozen wriggling snakes in their luggage. According to a statement from customs agents in Mumbai, a passenger arriving from Thailand was stopped at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) on Sunday, June 29, after officers found 16 wild animals in their bag. "Customs officers ... foiled yet another wildlife smuggling attempt, 16 live snakes ... seized from a passenger returning from Thailand," customs officers said on X. Many of the snakes found stowed away were nonvenomous or not dangerous to humans, including garter snakes, a coastal banded California king snake, a rhino rat snake, an albino rat snake, a Kenyan sand boa and more. The passenger was arrested and customs said that an investigation is underway. According to CBS News, many of the species found in the suspect's luggage are often sold in the pet trade. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. This incident marks the third seizure of live animals in Mumbai in one month, according to CBS. In early June, authorities said they arrested another passenger coming from Thailand who had attempted to bring 44 Indonesian pit vipers concealed in their checked-in baggage, as well as three venomous Spider-tailed horned vipers and five Asian leaf turtles. Just days later, another passenger was stopped as they were trying to smuggle in 100 live animals, many of them endangered, including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! India isn't the only country where passengers have attempted to bring live animals through customs or security. In March, a Pennsylvania man was caught trying to smuggle a red-ear slider turtle through security at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey by stuffing it down his pants. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shared in a press release at the time that the discovery came after an alarm on a TSA body scanner was activated in the man's groin area. 'A TSA officer administered a pat-down of the area of the man's body where the alarm was triggered and in doing so, determined that there was something concealed in the area of the man's groin,' the release read. Officials added, 'When asked if there was something hidden in his pants, the man, a resident of East Stroudsburg, Pa., reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a live turtle that was wrapped in a small blue towel.' In November last year, security officials at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, stopped an alleged smuggler, a 28-year-old South Korean man, because his stomach appeared abnormally swollen while he was passing through security. Peru's National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) said in a press release at the time that the man was asked to lift his shirt, revealing two belts that had been adorned with camouflaged bags and packages containing tarantulas and other bugs, according to the wildlife service. Specialists with the government agency later tallied the concealed critters, counting 35 adult tarantulas, 285 juvenile tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants. Read the original article on People
CBS News
30-06-2025
- CBS News
Plane passenger in India caught with 16 live snakes in luggage, including a rhino rat snake
Indian customs officers in Mumbai said they 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," customs officers said. They said it took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in India. 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. The agency posted images on social media of the snakes that were discovered. 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. — Mumbai Customs-III (@mumbaicus3) June 29, 2025 They included garter snakes, a coastal banded California king snake, a rhino rat snake and a Kenyan sand boa, among others. 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. In early June, customs officers stopped a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers, also arriving from Thailand. Days later, officers stopped another traveler carrying 100 creatures including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums. 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 International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 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. "Very troubling" trend 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. 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 clamor for exotic pets is driving the trade," she added.
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
2 nabbed in KLIA trying to smuggle over 300 exotic animals
The animals included blue iguanas, red-eared sliders, savannah monitors, nile monitors, common spotted cuscus, black-throated monitors, and others. PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency has arrested two Malaysian men at KLIA Terminal 1 as they tried to smuggle hundreds of exotic animals out of the country on Wednesday. The agency said checks conducted at 6.30am uncovered more than 300 exotic wildlife that were hidden in several bags belonging to the duo. The animals included blue iguanas, red-eared sliders, savannah monitors, nile monitors, common spotted cuscus, black-throated monitors, and others. They had an estimated total value of about RM460,000 and were confiscated for further action. It said the two suspects did not have any documents or permits allowing them to transport the animals out of the country.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Who's leading the Perhilitan bust against animal smugglers in KLIA? Meet MAHB's canine heroes Van and Perry
SEPANG, May 14 – Two sniffer dogs named Van and Perry are at the forefront of efforts to curb wildlife smuggling through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), following their deployment by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) Peninsular Malaysia. The Belgian Malinois dogs, donated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) and trained in the Netherlands, are specially conditioned to detect endangered wildlife species. 'From January 2023 to March 2025, our collaboration with Perhilitan led to the rescue of RM5.4 million worth of protected wildlife,' said MAHB in a Facebook post. 'Trained to detect hidden wildlife in luggage, these four-legged heroes help stop smuggling before it takes flight,' it added, referring to Van and Perry. According to a Harian Metro report, the duo can detect contrabands listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, snakes, and turtles. Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim was quoted saying the canines have bolstered enforcement as smuggling syndicates continue to use KLIA as a key transit point, with over 4,200 exotic animals seized. 'To date, Perhilitan has opened 10 investigation papers related to wildlife smuggling through KLIA during this period,' he said, adding that common targets included turtles, snakes, birds and primates. 'Typically, these animals are placed in plastic containers, wrapped in boxes or covered with adhesive tape before being checked in as baggage,' he said, crediting intelligence gathering and coordination with other enforcement agencies for intercepting many of the attempts. Abdul Kadir noted a 42 per cent rise in wildlife seizures in 2024 compared to the previous year, highlighting species such as baby siamangs, iguanas, birds and turtles among the most frequently trafficked. Royal Malaysian Customs Department Director-General Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin was also quoted saying the agency remains committed to disrupting wildlife smuggling networks despite ongoing challenges. She cited previous enforcement successes, including the seizure of snakes, monitor lizards and red-eared slider turtles bound for India, and the arrest of an Indian national caught trying to smuggle out pangolin scales. The report said flights between KLIA and Indian cities like Mumbai and Chennai have become preferred routes for smuggling syndicates, with Indian authorities recording 56 wildlife seizure cases in 2022, nearly half of which involved arrivals from Kuala Lumpur.
