Six Indians Arrested At Bangkok Airport With 87 Smuggled Wild Animals Packed In Luggage

Bangkok, March 8 (TNA) Six Indians have been arrested for smuggling 87 wild animals from Bangkok Airport in Thailand. These include a red panda and a tamarin monkey. According to media reports, all the accused had hidden the animals in their luggage. They were headed to Mumbai from Bangkok.

The smuggled list included 29 monitor lizards, 21 snakes and 15 birds including parrots. According to the Customs Department, all the animals were hidden among the luggage with utmost care. If proven guilty, all the accused can be sentenced to 10 years in jail or fined 4 times the import duty. Last year 30 animals were smuggled and sent to Taiwan

Earlier in February also, a Mongolian man was arrested at Bangkok airport. He is accused of trying to smuggle a Komodo dragon, a python snake and 20 live fish. In October 2023, a traveller smuggled 30 animals from Thailand to Taiwan. These included 28 baby turtles. After the matter came to light, the airport fired an employee.

Thailand is one of the major hubs for wild animal trafficking. From here the animals are mostly taken to China and Vietnam for smuggling. However, in the last few years, there has been an increase in cases of animal trafficking in India also. Wild animal trafficking is the fourth largest illegal trade in the world. This is a market worth around Rs 8-12 lakh crore per year.