Bengaluru: Two passengers arrested for smuggling wild birds from Thailand

Bengaluru: Customs and forest department officials apprehended two passengers attempting to smuggle wild birds through the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Thursday.

The accused — Mohammed Usman, 27, and Arfath Sharieff, 25 — were intercepted based on profiling and specific intelligence gathered by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (C-Batch) of Airport Customs, Bengaluru, according to an official statement.

Usman and Sharieff had arrived from Phuket, Thailand, carrying seven wild birds: one rhinoceros hornbill, two black sicklebills, two greater lophorinas, and two red birds-of-paradise.

They were arrested for violating provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. A wildlife offence case was registered at the Range Forest Office in Devanahalli on Friday.

Last month, forest officials were deployed alongside customs personnel at the Bengaluru airport for the first time to strengthen efforts against wildlife trafficking. At present, four Deputy Range Forest Officers are stationed at the airport year-round.

Over the past year, customs authorities have registered 22 cases involving the illegal import and export of wild animals from Southeast Asian countries, primarily Thailand and Malaysia. Of these, 19 cases involved imports and three involved exports. Commonly trafficked species include gibbons, iguanas and various birds.