In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife trafficking, Mumbai Customs officials seized 45 exotic animals from a passenger arriving on a Thai Airways flight at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday.

The passenger, who landed in the early hours, was intercepted based on specific intelligence inputs. Upon inspection of his luggage, Customs officials discovered a variety of exotic wildlife including raccoons, hyraxes (small, rabbit-like mammals), black fox squirrels, and iguanas.

Tragically, several of the animals were found dead due to suffocation and the inhumane conditions in which they were transported.