For the first time, officials of the Air customs intelligence unit seized a female leopard cub from a passenger, who arrived from Bangkok at the Anna International airport here on Saturday. The passenger was detained for interrogation. Commissioner of Customs Rajan Chaudhary, in a release here said, based on specific intelligence that prohibited wild animals were likely to be smuggled from Thailand, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) maintained a special vigil at the Customs arrival hall to nab the smugglers.
Today morning, the officers noticed a male passenger, who arrived by a Thai Airways flight, moving in a suspicious manner in the arrival area. When a close watch was kept on his movement, the passenger Kaja Moideen (45) collected his checked in baggage and was seen walking in a hurried manner. As the officials heard a faint trill sound from his baggage, he was intercepted after he crossed the green channel and brought to AIU room for further questioning.
On questioning about the sound coming from his baggage, he was evasive in his reply. The officials opened the baggage and found a pink plastic basket in which a small animal resembling a leopard cub was found. The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak.
