Chennai Air Customs seizes 11 animals smuggled from Bangkok; wildlife deported to Thailand

The Chennai Air Customs Officers at the Chennai International Airport in Meenambakkam seized 11 animals being brought into the country. According to news agency ANI, among the seized animals, one was an Albino Porcupine, one Tamarin monkey and nine Leucistic Sugar Gliders.

These animals were reportedly brought in by two passengers, who concealed them inside check-in baggage from Thailand's capital Bangkok. Following the detention, all the animals were deported to Thailand on the advice of Animal Quarantine authorities. 

A few images of the animals that were released by ANI showed the animals packed inside the luggage that was shipped from the nation. Notably, this is not the first instance when the Chennai Air Customs foiled a smuggling attempt. Earlier in April, the officers seized drugs worth over Rs 2.3 crore.

Crystal meth worth Rs 2.3 crore seized by Chennai Air Customs

According to the Chennai Air Customs officers, the seized drugs were in the form of crystallised methamphetamine. According to an official statement, the drugs weighed about 920 grams but were worth over Rs 2.3 crore, ANI reported. The drugs were concealed in a wooden box and were bound for Australia through India.

"Based on specific information, Chennai Air Customs detained one courier parcel destined to Australia suspected of containing narcotic substances. On examination, the parcel was found to contain clothes, books and other articles and a wooden box was also found concealed at the bottom of the parcel", the official statement read. "On opening the wooden box, a plastic pouch wrapped with white surgical tape was found and it contained 920 grams of meth crystals, a psychotropic substance."

National capital Delhi also struggles with a heavy inflow of drugs that are shipped with the intention of smuggling. Earlier in March, the office of the Commissioner of Customs had revealed in an RTI reply that nearly 3,000 kg of gold has been seized in over 2,500 cases of smuggling registered by Delhi customs.

The office revealed that these cases were reported in a span of 11 years and most of them were at the international airport. According to the Customs office, about 2,895 kg of gold was seized from 2011 till January 10, 2022, and as many as 1,632 people, including 324 foreigners, have been arrested in these cases.