Man held for smuggling protected wildlife species from Thailand

Mumbai, Jun 9 (PTI) A man was arrested at Mumbai airport for allegedly smuggling protected wildlife species from Thailand on Monday, a Customs official said.

He was stopped on a specific tip-off after he landed at the airport here and his bags were checked, the official said.

"We found a Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula (Grammostola pulchripes) and a Tarantula (Brachypelma spp) as well Iguana (Iguana spp.) (80 numbers including 30 dead), Leucistic Sugar Glider (6 numbers), one dead Fire-Tailed sunbird, one dead Purple Throated Sunbird (Leptocoma sperata), Crested Finchbill (Spizixos canifrons) (2 numbers), one Honey Bear (Potos flavus), Brazilian Cherry Head Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius) (2 numbers)," he said.

"The man admitted he was trying to smuggle these animals into the country illegally in a flight from Bangkok. The animals were seized. The man was arrested under Customs Act," the official said. PTI DC BNM