Thailand acts as a key transit hub in the global illegal trade of exotic pets destined for India, animal activists said as customs officers seized more animals at Bangkok airport this week. [1]
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old passenger at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport tried to smuggle dozens of small tortoises strapped to her body on a flight to Taipei, authorities said. [1]
The day before, officers seized hundreds of live turtles, blue-green iguanas and a freshwater crocodile arriving in Bangkok from Bengaluru, India. [1]
The seizures came after earlier interceptions in April. On April 18, customs found raccoons in a box checked in by an Indian woman at Bangkok airport, and one raccoon died en route because it lacked air. [1]
In the days before April 18, authorities also intercepted chameleons and a pair of endangered gibbons that were destined for India. [1]
Animal activists warned the trade can spread zoonotic diseases and threatens biodiversity as rare species are moved across borders in hidden cargo and luggage. [1]
The latest cases add to a series of airport seizures in Bangkok between April 16 and May 3, with the tortoise case the most recent. [1]
