DRI busts wildlife smuggling syndicate, rescues 11 exotic snakes

The Mumbai DRI has intercepted an international wildlife smuggling syndicate, apprehending an operative attempting to smuggle 11 foreign-origin snakes.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intercepted an international wildlife smuggling syndicate, apprehending an operative attempting to smuggle 11 foreign-origin snakes, including ball pythons and corn snakes.

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The accused, arriving from Bangkok, concealed the 9 pythons and 2 corn snakes inside packets intended for cakes and biscuits within his check-in luggage. The accused was arrested after he arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai on Wednesday, DRI sources said.

Experts confirmed the non-indigenous origin of the seized snakes, identified as python regius and pantherophis guttatus species. The snakes brought in by the alleged male carrier of the syndicate were meant to be used eventually as “ trophies, collectibles, pets and livestock, “ according to a DRI source.The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Western Region (WR), Navi Mumbai officials had inspected the seized snakes and confirmed their identification upon being alerted by the agency.

According to DRI sources, the import of the snakes violated the country’s import policies and the provisions of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). CITES is an international agreement among governments, aimed at ensuring that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.

The DRI is conducting further investigations and searches to reach the operators of the smuggling syndicate, the sources said.

In a previous case in July, the DRI seized 306 live exotic animals, including tortoises and turtles, after foiling the alleged bid to smuggle them via air into India from Thailand by a suspected international wildlife trafficking racket.