Passenger arrested with 16 live snakes at Mumbai airport

Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) A passenger was caught with 16 live snakes, including Kenyan sand boas and Honduran milk snakes, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here, an official said on Saturday.

The Customs staff intercepted the flyer after he arrived in the city from Thailand capital Bangkok on Friday night, he said.

The passenger’s baggage had cotton bags stuffed with 16 live snakes, including two Kenyan sand boas, five rhinoceros rat snakes, three albino snakes, two Honduran milk snakes, one California kingsnake, two garter snakes, and one albino rat snake, he said.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Customs are working to send back the reptiles to the source country as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, the official said.

Experts from RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) helped in the handling and identification of the snakes, he added. PTI ZA NR