Wildlife Smuggling at Mumbai Airport: Customs Seizes Exotic Animals and Arrests Suspects

Customs officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai have made several arrests and seized a wide range of exotic animals in recent months, highlighting the growing problem of wildlife smuggling in the country. In one incident, a passenger was arrested for attempting to smuggle two kinkajous, two pygmy marmosets, and 50 albino red-eared sliders into the country. The animals are found in the rainforests of Central and South America, and some are listed under international trade regulations. This is not an isolated incident, as several other arrests have been made in the past six months, including the confiscation of meerkats, star tortoises, and various types of lizards.

Key Takeaways:

• The Customs department arrested a passenger at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai for allegedly smuggling two kinkajous, two pygmy marmosets, and 50 albino red-eared sliders.
• The kinkajou is listed in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), while the pygmy marmoset is listed in Appendix II of CITES and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Albino red-eared sliders are not listed in either CITES or the amended Wildlife (Protection) Act.
• In the past six months, Customs officials in Mumbai have arrested several people for allegedly smuggling wildlife, including meerkats, star tortoises, and various types of lizards.
• Two of the largest seizures happened on July 10 and 11, when the Customs confiscated meerkats, Sumatran rabbits, great-billed parrots, and Indo-Chinese box turtles at Mumbai Airport. Two passengers travelling on separate flights with wildlife were arrested.
• On June 1, the Customs arrested a Chennai resident, Mohammed Hanif Shahul, at the Mumbai airport after he arrived from Kuala Lumpur, as it recovered five baby siamang gibbons, which were concealed inside plastic boxes/cages.
• The seizures and arrests highlight the growing problem of wildlife smuggling in the country and the need for stricter enforcement of international trade regulations.

Statistics:

• 1 passenger arrested at CSMIA for smuggling kinkajous, pygmy marmosets, and albino red-eared sliders.
• 2 meerkats, 1 Sumatran rabbit, 2 great-billed parrots, and 1 Indo-Chinese box turtle confiscated on July 10 and 11.
• 5 baby siamang gibbons recovered from a passenger on June 1.
• 44 Indonesian pit vipers, of which 43 were alive and 1 was found dead, confiscated from a passenger on June 1.
• 50 albino red-eared sliders seized from the arrested passenger.

Sources:

• "Customs nabs passenger at Mumbai airport for smuggling wildlife" (Express News Service, The Indian Express)
• "Wildlife smuggling on the rise in Mumbai" (IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.