Two passengers were caught with rare and endangered species, including a brown basilisk lizard, an iguana, and a Sumatran striped rabbit, at Mumbai International Airport. Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane and president of NGO RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare), told mid-day that a total of 120 live exotic animals were seized during the operation.

Green iguanas

“Mumbai customs arrested two Mumbai-based passengers arriving from Bangkok via Air India. The exotic animals were cruelly stuffed into small plastic and jute containers inside their luggage,” Sharma said, adding that wildlife experts from RAWW assisted with rescuing and stabilising the animals. Authorities said the rescued animals will be deported back to the country they were trafficked from, in accordance with provisions under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and with support from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).