Chennai: Gibbons, cobras, pythons and other exotic wildlife — many of them sedated and some venomous — were among the 49 specimens of 12 species seized by customs officials at Chennai International Airport in two back-to-back smuggling attempts on consecutive days.In the first incident, customs sleuths intercepted a passenger who arrived from Kuala Lumpur on April 3 on an AirAsia flight on suspicion. The Air Intelligence team of the Chennai customs found cages hidden among clothes in his checked-in luggage, with different sedated wildlife species hidden in them. On information, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) team reached the airport and identified the species.A total of 34 exotic wildlife specimens, including two Indonesian blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua gigas), 10 water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator), two Sulawesi mangrove snakes (Boiga dendrophila gemmicincta), eight California king snakes (Lampropeltis californiae), four albino Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus), six cobras (genus Naja), an albino gecko and a red viper (Trimeresurus), were seized from the passenger. The species were medically examined and confirmed to be healthy.During inquiries, the passenger, an Indian national working in Malaysia and returning to Chennai after three years, claimed he was handed over the luggage by another person at the airport and promised monetary gains upon delivering the consignment. He was arrested under the Wildlife Act and remanded in judicial custody. The species were repatriated to Malaysia through the same airline.Customs officials said they have come across venomous species being smuggled for a long time and are probing whether they were ordered and purchased for a specific reason.In the second incident, customs sleuths were alerted about an unclaimed trolley bag at the arrival terminal on April 4 and, upon checking, they found 15 wildlife specimens, including a silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch), a yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae), four Indian palm squirrels (Funambulus palmarum) and nine spiders, concealed in the bag. Inquiries confirmed that a passenger who arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight abandoned luggage and fled the airport. Customs sleuths said further investigation is on to trace the smuggler. The seized wildlife were deported to Bangkok the same day.Customs officials suspect that smuggling of wildlife might have resurfaced due to the West Asian crisis, as cartels have lost business, unable to smuggle gold from the Gulf destinations and have tightened the vigil. The Election Commission too was alerted about the seizure as part of the practice during the model code of conduct, said officials
