Chennai: Air Customs officials arrested a passenger for smuggling exotic pets such as ball pythons, marmosets, golden-handed tamarins, and woodland dormice, from Bangkok.
Fifteen woodland dormice, two common marmosets, and a golden-handed tamarin were found dead when the bags were opened at Chennai airport.
Guruswamy Sudhakar, 44, from Thanjavur, was remanded in judicial custody on Saturday.
He was intercepted upon his arrival from Bangkok on suspicion that he might be carrying the contraband. A check of his bags revealed that he had concealed the exotic animals in custom-made packets. These animals are popular in the pet trade.
Of the 26 woodland dormice, 11 were alive. Officials said that except woodland dormice, other species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix-II.
Regional Wildlife Crime Control Bureau officials rushed to the airport upon receiving information and provided suitable feed to the animals. The dead animals were safely disposed of, and the rest of them were sent back to Bangkok.
Gurusamy was produced before the court, and the magistrate remanded him in judicial custody, considering that it was a cognisable offense. He was lodged at the Puzhal Central Prison. Customs officials said that wildlife trafficking accused have been remanded in judicial custody in the past. Further investigation is on to find out whether Sudhakar brought the species to cater to the demand in illegal exotic pet trade in the city or whether he had plans to transport them to other states.
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