A view of the Mumbai airport
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: The Customs officials seized 36 exotic reptiles from a passenger who landed at the Mumbai international airport from Bangkok and arrested him.
They include 28 live, two dead orange-bearded dragons, and six white iguanas.
The passenger was intercepted by officials on Sunday night after they noticed unusual movement in his bag during scanning, an official said.
A wildlife rescue team from RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) was called for assistance in opening the consignment, identifying and taking care of the species until further actions were to be initiated, said an official from the Forest Department.
The Wildlife Crime Control has already issued orders for deporting the live reptiles under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), officials added.