A traveler was apprehended at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for trying to transport 10 yellow anacondas. These reptiles were hidden in his checked baggage.
According to a statement from Bengaluru Customs, officers intercepted the individual upon their arrival from Bangkok and took them into custody. The department emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards wildlife trafficking in a social media update.
Yellow anacondas typically inhabit river areas, primarily found in Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and northern Uruguay.
Under Indian law, the trading and trafficking of wildlife are prohibited.
In a similar incident last year, customs officials at the Bengaluru airport rescued 234 wild animals, including a juvenile kangaroo allegedly smuggled from Bangkok. Unfortunately, the young kangaroo, confined in a plastic container, perished due to suffocation.
Acting on a tip-off, authorities searched the suspect’s luggage, uncovering pythons, chameleons, iguanas, turtles, and alligators concealed in their trolley bags.
Several of the animals discovered were listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
#Indiancustomsatwork Bengaluru Air #Customs intercepted attempt to smuggle 10 yellow Anacondas concealed in checked-in bag of a pax arriving from Bangkok. Pax arrested and investigation is underway. Wildlife trafficking will not be tolerated. #CITES #WildlifeProtection 🐍✈️ pic.twitter.com/2634Bxk1Hw
— Bengaluru Customs (@blrcustoms) April 22, 2024
