The animals, hidden behind welding machines in imported cartons, included king snakes, Chinese fire-bellied newts and red-eared slider turtles. One suspect has been detained.
Bangladesh authorities have seized 114 exotic wild animals, including five albino Texas rat snakes, from two cartons imported from China in an attempted smuggling operation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the capital, on November 5.
The animals were concealed behind welding machines in the cartons, according to the Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU) of the Bangladesh Forest Department.
The seized animals included king snakes, Chinese fire-bellied newts, red-eared slider turtles and several other species, in addition to the five albino Texas rat snakes.
One suspect was detained in connection with the incident and handed over to Airport Police Station. A case was filed against him under the country’s wildlife conservation law.
Representatives from the Customs Department, the Department of Livestock Services, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and AVISEC assisted the Forest Department’s Wildlife Crime Control Unit in the joint operation.
The rescued animals are currently under close observation at the Wildlife Crime Control Unit’s office in Agargaon, Dhaka.
