The air intelligence unit (AIU) of the Customs department and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) arrested a woman and seized from her possession two common spotted cuscus and one silver leafed monkey at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport airport in Kolkata on Thursday, officials aware of the development said.
The 36-year-old woman had come from Bangkok on an IndiGo-flight.
“Two common spotted cuscus and one silver leafed monkey were seized at the airport. One woman has been held. The raid was conducted by the AIU of the customs assisted by the WCCB,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
Officials said that the woman claimed she was a model by profession, and her statements are being verified.
The common spotted cuscus is a marsupial which has a pouch like a kangaroo and is about the size of a cat. They are nocturnal herbivores and found in the forests of Australia, New Guinea and nearby smaller islands.
The silvery lutung, also known as a silver leafed monkey, is endemic to the forests of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Their population is considered vulnerable due to loss of habitat. They are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).