Woman Arriving At Chennai Airport From M’sia Arrested For Smuggling 22 Snakes & a Chameleon

Wildlife smuggling is a lucrative illegal business all over the world and many people would want to get a chunk of the money.

Just recently, a woman who arrived at the Chennai Airport from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was stopped by customs officers after they had detected something amiss in her checked-in baggage.

The Chennai Customs said in a tweet that when they opened up the bag, they found 22 snakes of various species and a chameleon.

According to NDTV, the snakes and chameleon were kept in separate transparent plastic containers. When those containers were open, the snakes came out of the boxes and slithered across the office floor.

A video depicting the situation at that time was uploaded on YouTube.

The woman has since been detained while the wildlife was seized under the Customs Act, 1962 r/w Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Atul Bagai, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in India said in April 2022 that India is among the top ten countries in terms of using the airline sector for wildlife trafficking.

A 2011-2020 report by UNEP partners showed that the most reported airports for trafficking were Chennai International, followed by Mumbai and Delhi.

We hope that the authorities will get to the bottom of this case.

Also read: Johor Traffic Cop Hailed For Dragging Huge Snake Off The Road With His Bare Hands