17 king cobras, 55 ball pythons & 6 capuchin monkeys seized at Bengaluru airport

All the snakes were alive and active but the primates were dead, customs said.

Customs authorities at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport have seized king cobras and other protected animals smuggled on a flight from Thailand.

The animals were stuffed in check-in baggage on Thai AirAsia's flight number FD 137, which landed in Bengaluru around 10.30 pm on Wednesday, the customs said in a statement on Thursday.

Besides 17 king cobras, the baggage contained 55 ball pythons (in different colour morphs) and six capuchin monkeys. While the king cobras and ball pythons were found alive and active, all the primates were dead, the statement added.

All 78 animals are scheduled animals under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed under appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), the statement said.

A scheduled animal is an endangered species and requires special protection.

It is suspected that the animals were smuggled for international pet trade.

While the king cobras and pythons have been deported to Thailand, the dead capuchin monkeys were disposed of with proper sanitary measures, the statement said.

Customs authorities are hunting for the owner of the baggage and have registered a police case.

This is the second big seizure of protected wildlife at the Bengaluru airport in the last three weeks. Incidentally, Thailand was the source of those animals as well, according to the customs department.

On August 21, customs officials rescued 234 wild animals, including pythons, chameleons, iguanas, turtles, alligators and a dead baby kangaroo, allegedly smuggled by a passenger from Bangkok. The animals were concealed in two trolley bags.