Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Tuesday arrested a woman passenger from Chennai for attempting to smuggle two rare gibbons. Both animals were rescued and later repatriated to their native country.
According to officials, the Customs department had received a tip-off about an attempt to smuggle gibbons through the airport. Acting on the information, officials intercepted the woman passenger. During the inspection of her baggage, officers discovered one male and one female gibbon hidden inside a basket. The primates were found in a suffocated condition.
The rescued animals were immediately handed over to Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) for temporary medical care. After receiving treatment, they were sent back to their country of origin under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
An official confirmed that strict action is being taken against those involved in such illegal wildlife trafficking.
This is not the first such incident in Maharashtra. Earlier in May, the Thane Forest Department seized nine trafficked monkeys during a raid in Colaba, in which eight were found dead and one survived. A Malaysian woman was detained in connection with that case. Among the animals recovered were four Siamang gibbons, three golden gibbons, and two pig-tailed monkeys.
Gibbons are classified as endangered species and are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as well as Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Native to parts of Southeast Asia, they face serious threats from illegal trafficking and habitat loss.