A variety of exotic species were recovered from smugglers by customs officers at Chennai airport in south India, including meerkats, gerbils, frogs, spiders and rare reptiles.

The recovery was made from a flight from Bangkok on January 31, and at least one person has been detained.

Reportedly information indicated that the illicit cargo would be arriving via Thai airways flight TG 337, prompting a stakeout of the plane and its cargo.

Officers identified one passenger travelling with a black stroller that was behaving oddly. The passenger, lbrahim Shah, 38, of Chennai had arrived from Bangkok by Thai Airways flight TG337.


After questioning, his luggage was examined and was found to contain 2 plastic containers, one tiffin box and one cake box concealed among chocolates and wafers. These containers held several different varieties of endangered animals.

Further questioning led Shah to admit that the stroller bag was given to him by someone outside Bangkok airport, with instructions to handover the same to some unknown person outside airport. He was then taken outside the airport but no one came to receive the bag.

The seized exotic wildlife species will be deported to Bangkok. Further investigations are under progress.