Officials of the Customs Air Intelligence Unit seized a few live snakes, scorpions, tortoises and geckos from two passengers at the Tiruchi International Airport on Saturday night.
The passengers were detained for inquiry.
Airport sources said the passengers landed at Tiruchi airport from Kuala Lumpur by a Malindo Air flight.
The Customs officials detected the live species concealed in the baggage when it was scanned of the two passengersand detained the passengers. The species were found when the baggage was put for examination through scanner.The district forest officials were informed of the seizure. A senior forest official here said many geckos were concealed in the baggage besides some tortoises, snakes and scorpions. It is suspected that the consignment was sent from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur.
The district forest officials said they could not take possession of the species as they were not covered under the Wildlife Protection Act. As a result, the species continued to be in the possession of the Customs authorities. said the authorities.
They have suggested that the Customs authorities send the creatures back to the source country from where it was smuggled. The incident comes a few days after the Customs officials seized several turtle hatchlings smuggled by a passenger who arrived from Colombo by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight. The turtle hatchlings were later sent back to Colombo since they were all exotic species.
