Customs officials have recovered two live ball pythons, a deceased golden-handed tamarin (squirrel-like species), two deceased common marmosets, and 11 live and 15 deceased woodland dormice (rodents) in the check-in baggage of a traveler from Bangkok, Thailand.
The 44-year-old passenger, identified as Guruswamy Sudhakar, was carrying the wild creatures in custom-made packaging.
The Air Customs teams alerted the regional Wildlife Crime Control Bureau officials upon finding wild creatures in the check-in baggage, who then conducted a thorough inspection of the luggage.
Indian Flyer Smuggling Snakes, Rodents in Baggage from Bangkok Gets Busted
© Twitter
According to officials, the deceased animals were properly buried, while the rescued animals, once declared healthy and fit for travel, were safely transported back to their home country, Thailand.
Woodland Dormouse, which was recovered from the smuggler, has been listed as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
As the investigation involving the illicit wildlife trafficking operation is underway, Sudhakar, the accused, has been remanded to judicial custody and sent to Central Prison.