Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers, on 22 January 2023, recovered 18 non-indigenous animals from three passengers arriving from Bangkok, with assistance from Karnataka Forest Department officials at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Finance, the officers, acting on a specific intelligence, examined the checked-in baggage of the three passengers and 4 primates and 14 reptiles, 10 of which were also included in Appendix II of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Further, a quick follow-up action with the assistance of Karnataka Forest Department officials and an officer deputed from Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Chennai, resulted in the recovery of another 139 animals belonging to 48 different species, including 34 CITES listed species from a farmhouse in Bengaluru used as a place of storage of similarly smuggled wildlife, the statement said.

Four persons were arrested in the case after documents evidencing the licit import of the wildlife items nor any filings under Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (Wildlife Division), Voluntary Disclosure Scheme till its extended deadline of March 2021 could not be provided to the officials.

However, evidence of financial transactions to source Non indigenous wildlife through the route of smuggling, buy-sell transaction on the WhatsApp and other social media platform have been unearthed, the report added.

The recovered animals include extremely rare and threatened species like the Yellow and Green Anaconda, Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot, Nile Monitor, Red Foot Tortoise, Iguanas, Ball Pythons, Alligator Gar, Yaki Monkey, Veiled Chameleon, Racoon Dog, White Headed Piones etc were handed over to Bannerghatta Biological Park.