Chennai: Customs officials at the Chennai International Airport on Friday night seized 20 non-venomous snakes, two turtles, and a monkey smuggled from Thailand. The Central Forest Crime Branch officials have decided to send the animals back to Thailand and will collect the cost from the smuggler.
Acting on specific inputs, the officials intercepted a passenger named Mohammed Shakeel (21) from Keelakarai in Ramanathapuram district, who arrived from Thailand's capital Bangkok, and recovered 20 non-venomous kingsnakes, 2 turtles, and a monkey from his baggage, according to an official from the customs department.
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The customs department informed the officials of the Central Forest Crime Division in Chennai. The officials then rushed to the spot and started interrogating the smuggler, after which it was revealed that he had gone to Thailand on a tourist visa 10 days ago, stayed there and bought the animals from there.
All the animals that have been seized will be sent back to Bangkok, Thailand. It has also been decided to collect the cost of the repatriation from the Ramanathapuram-based smuggler.
