A monkey and several reptiles rescued from a passenger at Chennai airport

When Customs officials at Chennai airport checked the baggage of a passenger from Bangkok around 1 a.m. on Thursday, they found a De Brazza monkey, king snakes, ball pythons and Aldabra tortoises

The Customs officials seized a De Brazza monkey, king snakes, ball pythons and Aldabra tortoises from a passenger, who arrived from Thailand at Chennai airport on Thursday.

Around 1 a.m., the officials held Mohammed Shahiel who came from Bangkok by Thai Airways flight. When they examined his check-in baggage, they found a De Brazza monkey, 15 king snakes, five ball pythons and two Aldabra tortoises, according to a release.

As the passenger did not have any licence from the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) or no-objection certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the officials sent back the animals to Bangkok, the release said.