Mumbai Customs Seize 120 Exotic Animals Hidden In Luggage from Bangkok; Two Held

Authorities seized 120 live exotic wild animals, including iguanas and Sumatran striped rabbits, at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, an official confirmed on Thursday. The discovery was made on Wednesday night when Customs officials inspected the luggage of two Mumbai residents who had arrived from Bangkok. Both individuals were taken into custody.

The animals among them brown basilisk lizards, iguanas, Sumatra striped rabbits, and cuscuswere found tightly packed inside small plastic and jute containers.

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In accordance with the Wildlife Protection Act, Customs and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau have initiated steps to repatriate the animals to their country of origin, the official added. Experts from the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) played a key role in rescuing and stabilising the animals.