BHUBANESWAR: The international wildlife smuggling syndicates appear to have turned to Odisha for an entry point to smuggle exotic species as the arrest of a Tamil Nadu native from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here on Saturday has revealed.
Acting on a tip-off, Customs officials stopped the accused identified as Shankar Murugan as he arrived here from Bangkok. On search, 10 baby California Kingsnakes, nine Nile monitor lizards and 12 freshwater pig-nosed tortoises were seized from his possession. He was carrying the animals in cake and bread packets.
Customs officials said the non-venomous California Kingsnakes are found in western United States and northern Mexico. They are kept as pets as they hunt and devour other snakes, mostly the venomous species. The Nile monitor lizards are known for their large size and powerful build. They are one of the largest lizard species in Africa reaching lengths of up to 6.5 ft. The recovered tortoises are also unique. They possess flippers like a marine species and have long and fleshy snout like that of a pig.
“These exotic reptiles and tortoises are not found in India. As per the protocols laid down by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, they were handed over to Nandankanan Zoological Park here on Saturday. The city DFO has also been intimated about the matter,” said Customs sources.
Officials suspect Murugan to be a wildlife trader. The Tamil Nadu link to the seizures is being closely investigated, they said. This is the second case related to smuggling of exotic species into the state within a month. Earlier, Customs department had arrested a passenger who also arrived from Bangkok and recovered 12 exotic birds from him.
Sources said wildlife smugglers are targeting smaller airports as vigil has been enhanced across the major cities in the country. On February 5, a Chennai native was arrested in Mumbai airport after five baby Siamang gibbons were rescued from his bag.
While two red-shanked douc were seized from a passenger in Kolkata airport on February 6, exotic snakes, iguana, squirrel and tarantula were recovered from two passengers in Jaipur a day later. All the three passengers had arrived from Bangkok. Similarly, four gibbons and as many macaques were seized from two passengers when they arrived in Port Blair from Kuala Lumpur on February 8.
After a crackdown against smuggling of wildlife species in metro cities in recent months, the smugglers have reportedly shifted their focus towards comparatively smaller airports in the country including BPIA. A close vigil is being kept and intelligence collection has been enhanced to check the wildlife smuggling through the airports in the state, they said.