Bangkok, February 19: A Mongolian man was arrested at Thailand's main airport on Saturday for trying to smuggle out a variety of exotic animals, including komodo dragons, pythons, exotic fish and tortoises, authorities said on Monday.

The Straits Times reported that the man had checked in his luggage for a flight from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, when customs officials decided to inspect his bags, according to Phantong Loykulnanta, a spokesman for the customs department. UK: Shirtless Passenger Onboard Thai Airways Flight Destroys Plane Toilet, Punches Air Steward After Ugly Argument; Arrested (Watch Video).

They found two Komodo dragons, six Indian star tortoises, eight iguanas, five pythons, one boa constrictor and 24 live fish inside his luggage. The man was charged with smuggling protected animals, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,200).

Thailand is a notorious hub for wildlife trafficking, as smugglers use the country as a transit point to ship animals to China and Vietnam, where they are in high demand for their meat, skin or as pets. The customs department said it had seized more than 1,500 live animals at Suvarnabhumi airport in the past year.  Lion Cub Riding in Bentley Video: Viral Clip Shows Lion Taking Joyride in Luxury Car in Thailand, Woman Arrested for Illegal Ownership.

In October, the airport suspended an employee who helped a traveller smuggle more than 30 live animals onto a flight to Taiwan. The animals included two baby otters, 28 baby tortoises and a marmot.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2024 08:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).