Cambodian caught with wild boar teeth at KIA

A Cambodian monk was arrested after security personnel found three wild board teeth in his bag at the Kempegowda International Airport last week.

Chan Shopheap, 44, had arrived at the Bengaluru airport on December 25 to catch a flight to Varanasi. Around 1.10 pm that day, a screening of his baggage showed three teeth of an animal. A further examination concluded that the teeth belong to the wild boar.

Surendra Yadav, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer at the airport, said Shopheap failed to produce documents for carrying the wildlife item. Wild boars are protected under schedule 3 of the Wildlife Protection Act and government permission is mandatory for hunting or killing them.

Shopheap was handed over to the jurisdictional international airport police which booked him under the Wildlife Protection Act. An investigation is underway to determine the source of the wildlife item.