Chennai: Customs sleuths at Chennai airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle in wildlife by arresting a passenger and seizing 31 exotic creatures from him.Nine African spurred tortoises, four iguanas, an eastern water dragon, a dozen ball pythons, an albino corn snake, three blue-tongued skinks and a white-sided kingsnake, protected under the provisions of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), were all seized. These animals were stuffed into a speakerbox without any breathing space, resulting in the death of a lizard and a snake.Based on a tip-off, the air intelligence unit of Chennai Customs intercepted a flyer, a Chennai native, when he arrived from Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight on Wednesday. A speaker in his possession was seized. During a search officials found several cloth bags hidden inside. Each bag contained wildlife species. Further examination of his check-in luggage led to the seizure of a tray in his trolley, which had a few more exotic species hidden inside.The reptiles were seized and the flyer was secured, as he failed to produce any valid import certificate or licence for the legal import of the said wildlife species. Wildlife crime control bureau officials were alerted, and an inspector reached the airport and identified the species. Enquiries confirmed that the first-time flyer had been engaged in exchange for monetary gain. The seized species were sent to Bangkok by the same airline, and the flyer was arrested. Wildlife smuggling has been reported at Chennai airport after a hiatus, indicating the local cartel was becoming active again, even though it had been engaging in smuggling through other airports in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
