Snakes slither out of luggage as passenger tries smuggling 22 into India, officials say
A passenger arrived at an airport in southern India with some scaly companions who didn’t stay in the suitcase, officials said.
The woman flew from Malaysia and arrived at an airport in Chennai, India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said in an April 30 news release. Officials opened her checked luggage and found her attempting to smuggle “22 snakes of various species and a chameleon” into the country.
A collage of photos and videos shared on Facebook shows some of the packed and escaped reptiles.
One video shows several snakes slithering along the floor near a blue suitcase and a yellow-green plastic container. An officer holds one of the snakes by the tail, according to one photo. Another photo shows someone holding a balled-up snake.
A large white and green snake stretches across a third photo while a different reptile sits below, still in a clear plastic container, the photo from officials shows.
One snake escaped and slithered along a silver luggage cart, video shows. Other photos show a container with a tangle of yellow-and-white-striped reptiles, possibly several snakes, and a container taped shut with a light brown snake inside.
Customs officials seized the snakes and chameleon, according to the release.
Chennai is about 1,360 miles southeast of New Delhi.
This story was originally published May 4, 2023 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Snakes slither out of luggage as passenger tries smuggling 22 into India, officials say."
