CHENNAI: A bid to smuggle exotic animals into India from Malaysia was foiled at the city airport and a woman passenger was arrested in this connection, the Customs department said on Wednesday.
The passenger hailing from Kuala Lumpur, who allegedly carried the species in her baggage, and an individual who was supposed to receive them were arrested and remanded in judicial custody, the Customs department said in a press release.
Acting on specific inputs that the exotic animals were being smuggled into India, the department sleuths intercepted the woman passenger on Sunday upon her arrival from Kuala Lumpur.
Initial examinations led to the retrieval of wildlife species — four Siamang Gibbon and 52 numbers of Green Iguana.
A follow up action by the Air Customs officers apprehended an individual who was waiting to receive the smuggled species from her.
The exotic animals were deported back to their country of origin and an investigation was on, the release added.