Customs officials make shocking discovery during routine baggage inspection — here's what they found

We've all seen some weird behavior at airports. Social media is littered with stories of oddly packed luggage, fights between unruly passengers, and an increasingly wide variety of service animals. 

But customs officials at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport recently took that to the next level when they discovered animals that were not serving anyone.

What's happening?

The workers got an unwelcome surprise when they searched a man's bag and found sixteen exotic snakes he was trying to sneak into the country after a flight from Bangkok, according to The Free Press Journal.

The workers were doing a routine inspection when the contents of the bag first raised suspicion. Upon further review, they discovered two Kenyan sand boas, five rhinoceros rat snakes, three albino snakes, two Honduran milk snakes, one California kingsnake, two garter snakes, and one albino rat snake.

The man did not have permission to import the animals, and authorities are opening up a wider investigation. They believe he might be part of a bigger operation to smuggle animals between Southeast Asia and India. 

Why is preventing animal smuggling important?

The smuggling of exotic animals is dangerous for many reasons. First and foremost, the act of packing animals into a suitcase exposes them to completely unnecessary risk of death. They are also a danger to any humans who might unintentionally frighten them.

But when exotic animals are introduced into a foreign habitat, the environmental results can be disastrous. Invasive species can destroy natural ecosystems built up over thousands of years by altering food chains and destroying habitats. Altering the ecological balance can ultimately harm humans as it can decimate our own food supplies.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In April of last year, customs officials in Bangkok arrested a group that tried to smuggle in 87 exotic animals, including lizards and birds. Another recent report said that nearly five million seahorses were smuggled between the years of 2010 and 2021. And hundreds of exotic birds were recently rescued from smuggling in Bali. 

What's being done to prevent smuggling?

The best way to prevent such smuggling efforts is to educate the public about the dangers. Another way is to vote for pro-climate candidates who will not only support strong laws that forbid such disturbing behavior but also help provide the funds and support to enforce those laws.

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