Gibbon, flying lemur and tree python among exotic animals seized from man at Indian airport

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Customs officials in India seized 22 live exotic animals from a man arriving on a flight from Thailand.

The seized animals included an endangered siamang gibbon, two sunda flying lemurs, two green tree pythons, a white-lipped python, nine four-eyed turtles, a red-footed tortoise, an Indochinese box turtle, and a keeled box turtle.

They were hidden inside ventilated boxes brought in by a Thai Air Asia passenger named Mohamed Meera Sardharali, who landed at the Chennai international airport from Bangkok on Saturday. He was taken for questioning after security officials noticed suspicious behaviour.

He reportedly led the officials to another man, Mohammed Idris, who was waiting outside the airport to receive the package, The Times of India reported.

He was handed over to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau while Mr Sardharali was detained and remanded in judicial custody under the provisions of the Customs Act and the Wildlife Protection Act.

"All the exotic wildlife species alive were safely handed over to airlines for deportation to their place of origin. Further investigation is in progress," the customs department said in a statement.

The questioning of Mr Idris and Mr Sardharali reportedly helped police and wildlife officials expose a ring of animal traffickers. They raided a house in Kolathur, Chennai, and found hundreds of native and exotic species.

They seized as many as 240 Indian-roofed and tricarinate hill turtles, three black pond turtles and 383 star tortoises, the newspaper said. However, there was no one at the house.

The animals had either been smuggled in from abroad or were in the process of being trafficked to foreign countries, officials said.

The house allegedly belonged to a police constable S Ravi Kumar, who was dismissed from service after being accused of involvement in animal trafficking.