Chennai Air Customs Seize Wildlife Species From Kuala Lumpur Passenger

The wildlife species were deported back to Kuala Lumpur and the passenger who attempted to smuggle the species was arrested and later released on bail.

By : PTI | Updated at : 28 Feb 2023 03:51 PM (IST)

Chennai Air Customs Seize Wildlife Species From Kuala Lumpur Passenger Chennai Air Customs Seize Wildlife Species From Kuala Lumpur Passenger

Tegu Lizards seized from the passenger

Source : ANI

Chennai: Wildlife species including a Raccoon (Procyon lotor) and 4 Tegu Lizards (Salvator) were seized from an Indian national who arrived from Kuala Lumpur and in other instances gold totally weighing 3,158 grams valued at Rs 1.58 crore was seized from three people, the Chennai Air Customs said on Monday.

The wildlife species were deported back to Kuala Lumpur and the passenger who attempted to smuggle the species was arrested and later released on bail.

The Indian passenger had arrived from Kuala Lumpur on February 26 and was found carrying a Raccoon and four Tegu Lizards in his baggage. The animals were seized under the Customs Act, 1962 read with Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Tamil Nadu | Chennai airport custom department yesterday seized 1 Raccoon & 4 Tegu Lizards from a passenger who arrived from Kuala Lumpur. The wildlife species were deported to Kuala Lumpur: Chennai Airport customs pic.twitter.com/8YtmsuueMk
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2023

"The wildlife species were deported back to Kuala Lumpur. The passenger was arrested and later released on bail," a release said.

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Based on intelligence, the Chennai Air Customs officers intercepted a male passenger from Dubai and found in his baggage, two gold wires deeply concealed in his trolley bag, resulting in the recovery of 495 grams of 24K purity valued at Rs 24.84 lakh.

The officials recovered 363 grams gold ingot of 24K purity valued at Rs 18.21 lakh from a male Sri Lankan passenger who arrived from Colombo and another 2,300 grams gold ingot of 24K purity worth Rs 1.15 crore from Airports Authority of India (AAI) staff to whom a Dubai-bound Sri Lankan passenger had given in the transit area toilet.

The AAI staff had arrived from Colombo and was arrested.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)