Customs Nab Smuggler Hiding Three Gibbons in Luggage

Quick Summary:

• The air intelligence unit of the Customs Department at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) intercepted a 37-year-old woman smuggling three gibbons in her check-in baggage.
• The accused, identified as Najma, is a resident of Bagalur and arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Bengaluru.
• Officials revealed that Najma was acting as a mule for an international wildlife smuggling racket and had been arrested earlier in Chennai for a similar offense in February 2024.
• The three gibbons,including one silver gibbon and two Bornean white-bearded gibbons,were found dead inside her baggage due to suffocation. These were hidden along with snack packets meant for smugglers waiting outside the airport.
• Najma has been booked under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and taken into custody to investigate the network involved in this illegal activity.

Indian Opinion Analysis:
India’s stringent wildlife protection laws aim to curb illegal trade that contributes considerably to biodiversity loss globally; yet cases like these highlight persistent challenges. Smuggling exotic animals such as endangered primates not only violates ethical treatment standards but also threatens species survival when removed from their habitats or subjected to fatal conditions during transport. This incident reflects how international networks exploit vulnerable individuals to conduct high-stakes crimes, exposing gaps in enforcement or preventive intelligence systems across borders.

proactively strengthening partnerships between nations for vigilance at airports and borders may deter trafficking attempts more effectively while helping conserve global ecosystems-of which India plays an active part under its conservation commitments.

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