The confiscated skull has been handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife for further examination
New Delhi authorities have arrested a 32-year-old Canadian man at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) after a crocodile skull was discovered in his luggage during a routine security check. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was travelling to Canada from the Indian capital when customs officials intercepted him.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Delhi Customs confirmed that the seized item was “a skull with sharp teeth, resembling the jaw of a baby crocodile, weighing approximately 777 grams, wrapped in a cream-coloured cloth.” The skull is from a species protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, and the individual is alleged to have violated both this law and provisions of the Customs Act.
The confiscated skull has been handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife for further examination. Delhi Customs highlighted the severity of the incident, stating, “This case highlights a serious violation of wildlife and customs laws. Collaboration between Customs and Forest Departments is crucial to ensuring such protected wildlife items are not smuggled.”
Growing Concern Over Wildlife Smuggling Via Airports
The arrest underscores a broader issue of wildlife smuggling in India, particularly through its rapidly expanding aviation sector. A 2022 report by TRAFFIC, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the illegal wildlife trade, revealed that airports in India are increasingly being misused for wildlife trafficking.
Between 2011 and 2020, 141 incidents of wildlife seizures were reported at airports across India, involving 146 different species. Reptiles, including crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and tortoises, accounted for 46 per cent of the confiscated wildlife.
“India is among the top ten countries in terms of using the airline sector for wildlife trafficking,” Atul Bagai, former head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in India, said at the time of the report’s release. “This is an unwanted accolade.”
India has been actively working to curb wildlife trafficking through stricter enforcement of its Wildlife Protection Act and its commitments as a member of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Similar Incidents Highlight Global Problem
The Canadian man’s case is not an isolated incident. Smuggling of animals or animal parts via carry-on luggage has become a global issue. In one such case last year, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Tampa Airport (TPA) in Florida discovered a four-foot-long live boa constrictor in a passenger’s bag. The TSA shared the incident on social media, joking, “Our officers … didn’t find this hyssssssterical! We really have no adder-ation for discovering any pet going through an X-ray machine.”
As authorities worldwide tighten regulations and improve surveillance, cases like these underscore the ongoing challenges in combating wildlife trafficking, a practice that threatens global biodiversity and often involves endangered species.