In an uncommon bust at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Worldwide (IGI) Airport, customs officers at Terminal 3 intercepted a Canadian nationwide who they realised was “acting suspicious”, solely to find that he was carrying in his baggage the severed head of a crocodile.
The severed crocodile head in custody. (HT Photograph)
Upon questioning, the person informed investigators that he had bought the reptile’s head throughout a visit via Thailand.
Officers mentioned they’ve detained the person late on Sunday evening.
The person had repeatedly insisted that he neither hunted nor killed the animal however merely purchased it throughout his travels, officers who questioned him mentioned on Tuesday. Regardless, transporting such wildlife merchandise requires permits, which he failed to supply.
Airport officers alerted the state forest and wildlife division to determine the specimen.
A crew of the forest and wildlife division, headed by the deputy vary officer (west) – Rajesh Tandon was referred to as in, which recognized the top as one belonging to a crocodile.
“Customs was asked to initiate action as per the Wildlife Protection Act, as crocodiles are protected species under it. Further lab tests will reveal which crocodile species this head belongs to,” mentioned a forest official, a part of the inspection.
The division now has custody of the crocodile head, it mentioned, stating as a way to journey with wildlife gadgets, particular permission is required which he didn’t possess.
This incident follows one other uncommon case in August final yr when a 32-year-old Canadian lady was caught on the airport trying to fly again to Canada with the horns of an unidentified animal. She claimed to have discovered the horns whereas trekking in Ladakh and determined to take them dwelling as a memento.
In two separate circumstances, the customs additionally caught two males within the final 48 hours for making an attempt to smuggle in gold price ₹75 lakh. Within the first case, a person was caught with eight cylindrical gold items weighing 600 grams that have been present in {an electrical} iron in his baggage.
Within the second case, a person was nabbed with gold within the type of small rings, hid in metallic buttons of a shirt. “The total recovery was around 980 grams,” a customs official mentioned.