Customs department seizes exotic wildlife, including snakes, monitor lizards and turtles at Bhubaneswar airport

Customs officials seized exotic wildlife, including including king snakes, monitor lizards and turtles, at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneshwar on Saturday.

The seized wildlife were concealed in chocolate boxes and were being smuggled from Thailand capital, Bangkok. They were being taken to Chennai, Injeet Kumar Mohanty, a Customs official engaged at the airport, told PTI.

The luggage of a person from Chennai was searched after officials received a tip-off. Following the search, seizures were made, he said, adding the passenger was detained and was being questioned.


As many as nine California king snakes, 10 pig nose turtles and 12 Nile monitor lizards were seized, of which three lizards were dead, he said.

The wildlife species have been handed over to the forest department.

During preliminary investigation, it was found that the exotic species were being taken to the Tamil Nadu capital for sale, Mohanty added.