Indian customs officials at Mumbai airport have made yet another seizure of live animals, arresting a passenger arriving from Thailand with 16 live snakes. This marks the third such incident this month, highlighting a concerning trend.
According to customs officials, the passenger, who arrived on Sunday, was attempting to smuggle the reptiles into the country. An investigation is currently underway. The snakes seized were primarily non-venomous or possessed venom too weak to pose a significant threat to humans, and included species often sought after in the exotic pet trade, such as garter snakes, a rhino rat snake, and a Kenyan sand boa.
This incident follows two similar cases earlier in June. In the first, officials intercepted a passenger attempting to smuggle dozens of venomous vipers, also from Thailand. Just days later, another traveler was caught with a menagerie of 100 animals, including lizards, sunbirds, and tree-climbing possums.
TRAFFIC, an organization dedicated to combating the illegal trade in wild animals and plants, has expressed concern over this “very troubling” trend in wildlife trafficking, driven largely by the demand for exotic pets. Their data reveals that over the past 3.5 years, more than 7,000 animals, both living and dead, have been seized along the air route between Thailand and India.
While seizures of smuggled gold, cash, or drugs are more common at Mumbai airport, live animals have also been intercepted. In February, officials discovered five endangered Siamang gibbons, cleverly hidden inside a passenger’s luggage. Last year also saw several similar cases, including the seizure of 12 live turtles in November, four hornbill birds in October, and five juvenile caimans in September, all transported from Thailand.
