Customs in India seizes 47 pythons from Indian national arriving from KL, reptiles to be sent back to Malaysia

NEW DELHI, Aug 1 — Customs officials at Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport in southern India seized 47 pythons from an Indian national arriving from Kuala Lumpur.

The pythons and two lizards were concealed in the passenger’s baggage.

The reptiles were seized under India’s customs and wildlife protection laws and will be sent back to Malaysia, local media reported yesterday.

The male passenger, who hails from Chennai, arrived on a Batik Air flight on July 29.

Wildlife smugglers often try to bring exotic reptiles to India from Southeast Asia.

In April, Chennai airport authorities found 22 snakes in the baggage of a woman who arrived from Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama