Officials of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) have seized
exotic animals smuggled into India from a woman passenger who arrived from Kuala
Lumpur in Malaysia at the Anna International Airport here and arrested her and another
person who came to receive it.
Acting on specific intelligence, the AIU officers intercepted a female Malaysian passenger
and on examination of her baggage, they detected 56 Nos. of various wildlife species.
The Authorities from Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) arrived at the airport to examine
the wildlife species, which were identified and certified as 04 Nos Siamang Gibbon
(Symphalangus syndactylus) (Endangered Species) and 52 Nos Green Iguana (Iguana
iguana).
In their swift follow-up action, the AIU Officers apprehended the person waiting to receive
the smuggled exotic wildlife species for further investigation A PIB release said.
Both the passenger and the receiver were arrested under the Customs Act, 1962 and were
remanded in judicial custody.
The seized exotic species were properly fed with food and water as per the advice of WCCB
authorities and were deported back to their Country of Origin.
Further investigation is under progress.
UNI GV 0800
