The seized animals include tortoises, beaded lizards, skinks, iguanas, an albino bat, an agile gibbon, and American alligators.
Credit: X/@blrcustoms
Bengaluru: Two Bengalureans returning from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were caught attempting to smuggle nearly 40 animals, including vulnerable and endangered species, into the city.
The official X account of Bengaluru Customs, @blrcustoms, reported on Monday that Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) officers arrested two passengers on November 11 for attempting to smuggle various baby animals. The seized animals include tortoises, beaded lizards, skinks, iguanas, an albino bat, an agile gibbon, and American alligators.
Among the animals, the agile gibbon is classified as an endangered species, the bat as near threatened, and the Indian Star Tortoise as threatened. The lizard appears to be a Mexican Beaded Lizard, one of only two venomous beaded lizard species found in Mexico and southern Guatemala.
Customs sources said the two Bengaluru residents, in their early 30s, arrived at 11 pm on Malaysia Airlines flight MH192 from Kuala Lumpur. Acting on a tip-off, SIIB officers, who primarily handle cargo import and export cases, intercepted the bags containing the animals.
During questioning, the men claimed they had visited Malaysia for a brief three- to four-day trip as tourists. They alleged that someone had handed them the two bags, offered to cover their travel costs, and promised to pay them Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per bag upon arrival in India, sources revealed.
"The animals were returned to Malaysia the next day to be handed over to Malaysian forest officials and returned to their natural habitats. An official acknowledgment from the airline is awaited," a source said.
A customs official noted a recent increase in similar smuggling attempts at the Bengaluru airport, prompting further investigation into possible connections.
Both men have been remanded to judicial custody and will appear before a magistrate in seven days. They have been booked under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962, and Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.