Man flies from Bangkok with 10 anacondas, arrested at Bengaluru airport

A shocking incident unfolded at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport when a passenger attempted to smuggle 10 yellow anacondas on a flight from Bangkok. The reptiles were surreptitiously concealed in the man’s check-in baggage, leading to his subsequent arrest by the Bengaluru Customs Department.

Key Points 

• 10 yellow anacondas found in passenger’s check-in baggage

• Arrested at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport

• Wildlife trade and trafficking illegal in India

According to a statement from the department posted on social media, vigilant officials intercepted the passenger upon his arrival from Bangkok and swiftly took him into custody. 

The investigation into the matter is currently ongoing, with authorities emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy towards wildlife trafficking.

The yellow anaconda, a riverine species typically found near water bodies, is native to regions such as Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and northern Uruguay. However, smuggling such wildlife is strictly prohibited under Indian law.

This incident echoes a similar case from last year when customs officials at the Bengaluru airport uncovered a distressing discovery. Among the 234 wild animals rescued from a passenger arriving from Bangkok was a baby kangaroo, tragically found deceased due to suffocation in a plastic box.

Upon further inspection of the passenger’s luggage, authorities uncovered an array of endangered species, including pythons, chameleons, iguanas, turtles, and alligators, concealed within trolley bags. Many of these animals were listed in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), highlighting the severity of the illegal wildlife trade.