Exotic species, gold and heroin seized at Chennai airport – The Hindu

CHENNAI

Chennai Air Customs seized exotic species, heroin and gold at Chennai airport recently.

On December 14, three Marmoset Monkeys, eight Sugar Gliders and three Tegu Lizards were rescued from a passenger who arrived from Bangkok. A case has been taken up under the Customs Act, 1962 read with the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The passenger was arrested and later released on bail, according to a press release and the animals were deported back to Thailand the next day.

In another case on December 6, a passenger who arrived from Bangkok had hidden two Fennee Fox in his check-in baggage and they were rescued by the officials. The species will be deported back to Bangkok.

Officials also seized 902 grams of heroin worth ₹6.31 crore from a Kenyan national Irungu Mary Muthoni who came from Sharjah on December 13. She had hidden heroin in her rectum and was subsequently arrested.

A passenger who came from Dubai on December 16 had concealed 1,774 grams of gold worth ₹86.27 lakh in the form of paste and gold chains.

On December 8, a passenger who arrived from Abu Dhabi was arrested for hiding 1,166 grams of gold in paste form in his shoes which was worth ₹54.02 lakh. The same day, the officials seized 1,036 grams of gold worth ₹47.99 lakhs from two passengers Ibrahimsha Yasar Arafath and Siddeek Batcha Shahul Hameed Badhusha, who came from Dubai via Colombo.

On December 9, two passengers Abdul Majeed Ramees Raja and Shahul Hameed Sadam Hussain came down from Dubai had concealed two gold chains, 16 gold foils and 64 gold parts that totally weighed 4,158 grams worth ₹1.93 crore.