CHENNAI: Air Customs officials foiled bids to smuggle albino porcupine, white-lipped or red-chested Tamarin monkey and leucistic sugar glider from Bangkok at the Chennai Airport. In the first incident, based on a tip-off, a passenger was intercepted and on examination, two plastic baskets were found concealed along with chocolates and personal effects in his baggage. On opening the plastic containers, a porcupine and white-lipped tamarin (Saguinuslabiatus) were found.
In another incident, a passenger Sahib Thamby (53) of Ramanathapuram, who arrived from Bangkok by Thai Airways was intercepted. On examination of his baggage, it was found to contain a pink-colour container. On opening the container, nine leucistic sugar gliders were found.
On questioning, he said the stroller bags was given to him by an unknown person outside the Bangkok Airport with instructions to hand it over a person outside the Chennai International Airport.
A certificate/deportation order from animal quarantine and certification services, Chennai, has been obtained and all wildlife/stocks were sent back to Thailand, as per advice of Animal Quarantine authorities, a release said.