Chennai Customs arrest man for smuggling over 400 baby iguanas

Chennai Customs arrests person smuggling exotic iguanas, seized under CITES, Wildlife Act; suspect remanded in custody.

The Chennai Customs arrested a person who tried to smuggle an exotic wildlife species at the airport.

Ateeq Ahmed, a passenger who arrived from Bangkok on July 5, was intercepted based on an intelligence input, a press release said. On opening the carton boxes he had with him, they found 402 baby iguanas. Of them, 67 were already dead. Doki Adimallaih, Wildlife Inspector, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), examined the iguanas.

The boxes had 229 green baby iguanas, 113 orange baby iguanas, seven yellow baby iguanas, and 53 blue baby iguanas. The iguana carcasses were incinerated with the help of the Blue Cross Foundation on July 6. The ones that survived the journey were hydrated and fed vegetables, as advised by the WCCB.

Since these species are covered in the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES), Appendix-I and Appendix-II, under the Schedule-IV Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, read with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade Import Policy, the officials seized them under The Customs Act, 1962, read with the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the release said. The live iguanas were then deported to Bangkok.

Ateeq Ahmed, who was arrested, has been remanded in judicial custody. Officials are investigating to trace the others involved in the case.