Passenger Stopped with Various Live Snakes at Mumbai Airport

At Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, customs officials intercepted a traveler from Thailand carrying 16 live snakes in his luggage—marking the third incident of its kind this month.

The seizure, which took place on a recent Sunday, led to the arrest of the passenger. Authorities have launched a deeper investigation into the matter.

The collection of snakes comprised mostly non-venomous species commonly sold in the exotic pet market. Visuals of the seized reptiles were released by the customs department to the public.

Variety of Snakes in the Seized Collection

Among the seized snakes were garter snakes, a rhino rat snake, a coastal banded California king snake, and a Kenyan sand boa, among others.

While customs officials are typically dealing with smuggled commodities like gold or illegal substances, the frequency of wildlife trafficking cases has notably increased.

Recent Trends in Wildlife Smuggling

Earlier in the month, a passenger was caught smuggling various wild creatures, including lizards, sunbirds, and tree-dwelling possums, also coming from Thailand.

A previous incident cataloged in February included the capture of a passenger transporting a small endangered primate hidden ingeniously within plastic containers.

Concerns from Wildlife Authorities

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organization, has flagged this recurrent trend fueled by a rising demand for exotic pets as highly concerning.

In the past three and a half years, authorities have confiscated over 7,000 animals along the air route between Thailand and India. Despite most animals originating from Thailand, more than 80% of interceptions occur on Indian soil.

Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia director, voiced distress over the weekly findings and the wide range of wildlife being trafficked, attributing it to the booming exotic pet market.