CHENNAI: Customs officials seized rare species of wild animals from a passenger who smuggled them from Bangkok on Saturday.

Based on Intelligence on smuggling, customs officials on suspicion intercepted Mohammed Shahiel (21) of Ramanathapuram who arrived from Bangkok. When checked his belongings, the customs found Shahiel was carrying exotic wild animals with him. Soon, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau who visited the Chennai airport inspected the animals and identified the live animals as De Brazza Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus), and 15 King snakes (Lampropeltis species), five Ball Pythons (Python regius) and two Aldabra Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea).

They found that Shahiel had travelled to Bangkok from Chennai a week ago and stayed there on a tourist visa and smuggled the animals, while returning from Bangkok. As Shahiel had no quarantine certificate and documents to bring the animals to India, officials had decided to deport the animals back to Bangkok and also registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Further investigation is on.

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