A 32-year-old man was arrested at an airport in India for trying to bring a baby crocodile skull onto his flight, authorities said.
Delhi Customs reported that the man was stopped at a security checkpoint at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on January 6, before boarding a flight to Canada... Continue reading here ▶
During the check, officials found a skull with sharp teeth wrapped in a cream-colored cloth. It looked like the jaw of a baby crocodile and weighed nearly 2 pounds.
The skull was sent to the Department of Forests and Wildlife for testing. Experts confirmed it was from a baby crocodile, a species protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
The confirmation was based on features like the skull’s texture, tooth pattern, and the shape of its nostrils.
The man was arrested for illegally possessing and trying to export a protected wildlife item. He was also charged with violating the Customs Act of 1962, which bans smuggling and false declarations of such items.
“This is a serious violation of wildlife and customs laws,” Delhi Customs stated, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between customs and forest officials to prevent wildlife smuggling.
The crocodile skull was handed over to the wildlife department for further testing, and an investigation is ongoing.
Atul Bagai, former head of the United Nations Environment Programme in India, noted that India is one of the top ten countries where wildlife trafficking occurs through air travel.
Incidents like this have led India and other countries, including Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to strengthen efforts to stop wildlife trafficking by sharing intelligence, The Hindu reported.
