Mumbai Customs Bust Passenger Smuggling Dozens of Snakes from Thailand

News Desk

Islamabad: Indian customs officials at Mumbai airport intercepted a passenger smuggling dozens of venomous vipers after arriving from Thailand, officials confirmed late Sunday.

The seized reptiles included 44 Indonesian pit vipers, 3 spider-tailed horned vipers — venomous snakes that typically prey on small birds — and 5 Asian leaf turtles. The animals were hidden in the passenger’s checked baggage. Authorities arrested the individual, an Indian national, though no further personal details were released.

Photographs released by Mumbai Customs showed the snakes writhing in a bucket, highlighting the unusual nature of this wildlife seizure at the financial hub, where customs more commonly recover smuggled gold, cash, narcotics, or drug-filled capsules.

This incident follows a series of exotic animal smuggling cases at the airport. In February, customs officials stopped a smuggler carrying five endangered Siamang gibbons—small apes native to Southeast Asia—concealed inside a plastic crate within a trolley bag.

Other recent busts include the confiscation of 12 live turtles in November, four hornbill birds in October, and five juvenile caimans, relatives of alligators, in September. All these animals were discovered on flights arriving from Thailand or nearby regions, underlining ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking through Mumbai airport.

Mumbai Customs continues to intensify vigilance against such smuggling operations to protect endangered species and uphold national and international wildlife protection laws.