Bengaluru, April 23: In a shocking incident, customs officials arrested a 56-year-old coffee trader from Sakleshpur on Saturday night for smuggling ten baby yellow anacondas in his luggage at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. The accused had arrived from Bangkok on a Thai Air Asia flight, FD-137, at 10:44 pm on April 20.

The New Indian Express reported that three of the young reptiles were tragically found deceased. The surviving anacondas have since been repatriated to Thailand. The market value of each baby yellow anaconda is estimated to be between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Measuring 2 to 2.5 feet in length, the snakes were concealed in cotton bags within the trader's checked baggage. Animal Smuggling in Karnataka: Dead Baby Kangaroo, Rare Lizards Among 234 Wild Animals Recovered From Passenger at Kempegowda Airport, Smuggler Arrested (See Pics).

Wildlife Smuggling Attempt Foiled

The customs official revealed that the trader was lured by the promise of easy money. An unidentified individual at Bangkok airport had offered him Rs 20,000 to deliver the suitcase to a contact in Bengaluru. The trader, who had visited Bangkok as a tourist, succumbed to the temptation. Intelligence inputs had tipped off the airport customs about the smuggling attempt, leading to the discovery of the snakes during baggage scanning.

"This appears to be the trader's first offence in wildlife trafficking," said a customs source. Vattam Aditya, a snake expert, informed The New Indian Express that the seized anacondas are approximately two months old. Adult yellow anacondas can reach lengths of 16 to 18 feet, making them too large to smuggle. The yellow anaconda is one of three species found, and their juvenile size facilitated the smuggling attempt. Major Wildlife Smuggling Attempt Foiled: Man With 12 Pythons Arrested at Chennai Airport (See Pics).

The yellow anaconda is indigenous to South America, with Bangkok known as a major hub for wildlife smuggling in Asia. The customs official stated that importing such exotic animals is prohibited, invoking Section 104 (4) (a) of the Customs Act 1962 and Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2024 04:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).