BENGALURU: Airport Customs officials on Sunday rescued 379 endangered animals being smuggled to Bengaluru from Malaysia inside a stuffed suitcase, on a Batik Air Malaysia flight. All of them would be sent back by a flight of the same airline to Malaysia shortly. Among the animals were 275 Green Iguanas, 91 Frog Pacmans, 20 African Spurred Tortoise and one Giant Gecko. Eight Frog Pacmans were found dead. The trafficker, a native of India, was booked under the Wildlife Act and Customs Act.
Batik Air Malaysia flight No. OD 241, which departed from Kuala Lumpur on December 29 at 8.40pm, reached Bengaluru by 10.20pm. Based on an intelligence tip-off, officials carried out scrutiny of the luggage checked-in by the male passenger after the flight reached Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport.
“The animals, many miniature in size, were found stuffed inside clothes in his luggage. The animals were squeezed so tightly as to fit inside just one bag. Eight of the frogs had died of suffocation,” another source said.
All the animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A CITES permit is required to import or export these species. The animals appear to have been smuggled from Malaysia and Thailand, a source added. Smuggling of wildlife from Asian countries to Chennai airport used to be a common activity earlier, but of late we notice a shift to Bengaluru, another source said.
“Animal welfare organisations and NGOs have been alerted and they are assisting Customs officials on steps to be taken to keep the animals in good shape before they are transported back to their home country,” the source added.