Customs officials at Mumbai International Airport stopped a passenger carrying 154 exotic animals, including four baby anacondas, inside bags, The Times of India reported.
What happened?
Authorities said they discovered the animals stashed in altered suitcases carried by a woman arriving from Thailand. The creatures were crammed into plastic boxes.
Anacondas haven't been discovered in a smuggling bust at this airport since 2020.
The haul contained tortoises, iguanas, raccoons, corn snakes, and multiple lizard varieties. The Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare sent rescue specialists to help treat and care for the animals.
"There were several species like anaconda, iguana, tortoise, turtles, dragons, lizards, and raccoons which were stuffed in plastic containers inside the luggage," said Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of the state forest department and founder of RAWW.
"This is highly risky for the trapped animals since they can also die of suffocation or shock in this terrifying situation of being secretly taken on a flight from Thailand to Mumbai."
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The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and India's 1972 Wildlife Protection Act both protect these animals.
Why is wildlife smuggling concerning?
Wildlife trafficking feeds a destructive black market that rips animals from where they belong and puts them through terrible conditions. This illegal trade harms ecosystems that people rely on for food and environmental health.
Removing animals from where they naturally live throws off the balance of entire food webs. Predators can't find prey, plants lose their pollinators, and disease spreads faster without natural controls.
High interest in owning exotic animals in India has built a profitable illegal market. Smugglers can get massive sums, which keeps the problem alive and threatens species while slowing work toward healthier ecosystems that help everyone.
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Definitely 👍 For humans, losing these animals means losing natural pest control, seed dispersal, and biodiversity that keeps our environment stable.
What's being done about wildlife trafficking?
Mumbai Customs has broken up over a dozen comparable wildlife trafficking operations. The confiscated animals will return to Thailand under Wildlife Crime Control Bureau protocols.
If you want to help stop wildlife trafficking, skip buying exotic animals for your home. The pain these creatures endure during capture, shipping, and captivity is severe, and purchasing them funds more smuggling.
Back organizations fighting to protect wildlife and stop illegal trade. Contact your representatives and push for tougher enforcement of wildlife protection laws and harsher consequences for traffickers.
Tell others about the harm caused by buying wild animals as companions. When fewer people buy, smugglers lose their reason to operate.
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