Passenger held at Mumbai airport with 54 exotic animals

A passenger was apprehended at Mumbai airport allegedly with 54 exotic animals, an official said on Saturday.

The passenger had arrived from Bangkok in Thailand onboard an IndiGo Airlines flights on Friday afternoon, the official said.

"We seized species like Albino Red Eared Slider Turtles, Marmosets and Cuscus (a type of nocturnal marsupials) from his luggage. Immediate orders were issued by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to send back the animals to Bangkok as per Wildlife Protection Act and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)," he said.

The seizure was made with the help of wildlife rescue experts from Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, the official said.