Customs seize 47 pythons, 2 lizards from passenger at Trichy Airport; man held

Trichy (Tamil Nadu): Air customs sleuths in Trichy International Airport on Sunday seized 47 pythons and two Lizards which were found inside a passenger's trolley bag who arrived from Kuala Lumpur by a Batik Air Flight. The perpetrator was identified as Muhammad Moideen. Upon his arrival at the airport, Customs officials noticed something odd about Moideen's bags and intercepted him. 

The officials opened the bags and found live reptiles concealed inside various perforated boxes. The forest officials reached the airport and recovered 47 pythons and two lizards from Moideen's bags. The forest department has initiated a process to deport the retiles back to Malasyia. Moideen has been detained for questioning. The seizure comes on the heels of another significant haul when 6,850 turtle hatchlings smuggled from Malaysia were seized at Trichy Airport on June 23.