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Agence France-Presse

A man was arrested after officials found a leopard cub smuggled in his bag on board a flight from Bangkok to Chennai, India, authorities said on Saturday.
The cub, weighing just over 1kg, was found in a plastic grocery basket hidden inside a carry-on bag after the passenger arrived in India on the Thai Airways flight.
Officials said they grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the bag, and stopped the passenger as he tried to rush out of the terminal in the capital city of southern Tamil Nadu state.
“He was evasive in his replies so his baggage was opened for further examination,” an official at the airport said.

#Alert | One month old Leopard cub was found in the bag of person flying into Chennai from Bangkok. The leopard was fed milk and immediately handed over to the wildlife department pic.twitter.com/fN79Uk6C6G
— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) February 2, 2019

“The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak,” he said.
The nationality of the 45-year-old passenger remained unclear, and the case was handed over to state’s wildlife crime bureau.
A mobile video issued by the airport authorities shows officials giving the cub milk from a baby’s bottle.
“We have taken the custody of the passenger and are questioning him on the source of the animal,” said AO Limatoshi, head of Chennai wildlife crime bureau.

He said they are investigating whether the man was carrying the cat as part of an international smuggling ring.
Leopards are found across the Asian continent but are highly vulnerable, with their population declining because of habitat loss and poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts.
They are an endangered species in India – with official estimates saying there are between 12,000 and 140,000 in total – and smuggling them in or out of the country is illegal.


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India

Indian man arrested after trying to sneak a leopard cub on board Thai Airways flight

The leopard cub “appeared to be weak”, said an official. Photo: Handout

TOPSHOT - This handout picture released by Customs Chennai International Airport and taken on February 2, 2019, shows a leopard cub after it was seized from a checked baggage of a passenger travelling from Bangkok, at Chennai International airport. - Indian authorities on February 2 arrested a passenger from a southern airport over smuggling a month-old leopard cub in a grocery basket from Bangkok, officials said. The cub, weighing just over one kilogram (2.4 pounds), was found in a plastic basket hidden inside a bag after the passenger arrived on a Thai airlines flight to Chennai airport. (Photo by Handout / Customs Chennai International Airport / AFP) / -----EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /CUSTOMS CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Would-be smuggler who stuffed four kittens down trousers arrested by Singapore immigration officers

The four live kittens that had been in the man’s trousers. Photo: AFP

This undated handout picture released by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore on January 8, 2019 shows a 45-year-old Singaporean man waiting in his car at the Tuas checkpoint in Singapore. - Singapore immigration authorities said on January8 they had foiled a bid to smuggle four kittens into the city-state stuffed down a man's trousers after hearing meows coming from the suspect's crotch. (Photo by HANDOUT / IMMIGRATION AND CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE / AFP) / XGTY---- EDITORS NOTE ----- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE   MANDATORY CREDIT  "AFP PHOTO / HO / IMMIGRATION AND CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS   -   DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Wildlife smugglers must face justice

Hong Kong customs found 7.2 tonnes of tusks in a shipment of frozen fish in 2017. Photo: Dickson Lee

Customs urged to step up prosecutions in illegal wildlife trade – with blood of 3,000 elephants, 65,000 pangolins and 51 rhinoceros on Hong Kong’s hands

Endangered animal parts seized by Hong Kong customs in Kwai Chung. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Portrait of Lisa Genasci, CEO of ADM Capital Foundation, at her office in Central. For the annual Women of our Time publication - a celebration of 25 of Hong Kong's most inspiring & influential women. 06SEP12

epa06997841 Seized bags of dried pangolin scales are displayed during a press presentation at Kwai Chung Customhouse in Hong Kong, China, 05 September 2018. Hong Kong Customs and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) mounted a 10-week joint anti-endangered species smuggling operation at the airport, seaport, land boundary and railway control points from June to August this year. Customs seized a total of 63 tonnes of suspected endangered tree logs, seven tonnes of pangolin scales and 25 kilograms of worked ivory, among other items. EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE

Seized Ivory scales seen at a Customs presser with AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department) on endangered spices smuggling, to conclude a 2-month operations to combat smuggling activities related to endangered spices, at the Customs Headquarters in Kwai Chung. 05SEP18 SCMP/ K. Y. Cheng

China has laws to stop pangolin trafficking – but what happens to the seized animals?

Pangolin seizures have been reported all over China but what is done with them after they are found is not always clear. Photo: AP

FILE - In this Friday, March 16, 2018 file photo, a pangolin from the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital is taken to a nearby field to forage for food near Johannesburg. Their scales _ made of keratin, the same material as in human finger nails _ are in high demand for Chinese traditional medicine, to allegedly cure several ailments, although there is no scientific backing for these beliefs. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

News

Asia

South Asia

Officials grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the hand-carry bag
Authorities are investigating if the man was carrying the animal as part of an international smuggling ring


Officials grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the hand-carry bag.


Thailand

Crime

Indian man arrested after trying to sneak a leopard cub on board Thai Airways flight

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Officials grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the hand-carry bag Authorities are investigating if the man was carrying the animal as part of an international smuggling ring

Officials grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the hand-carry bag

Authorities are investigating if the man was carrying the animal as part of an international smuggling ring