Authorities at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport have arrested a passenger caught with two endangered silvery gibbons hidden in his luggage.
The shocking discovery was made on October 30 when customs officers inspected the traveler’s bags and found the rare primates concealed in a basket inside a trolley bag.
According to officials, the animals—native to Indonesia’s forests and listed as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—were only a few months old. “During the search, we found two gibbons, one about two months old and the other roughly four months old,” a customs officer said. Tragically, one of the young gibbons did not survive.
The case adds to a growing list of bizarre smuggling attempts involving live animals at airports around the world.
U.S. Traveler Found Hiding Turtle in Pants
In a separate incident, a man from Pennsylvania was stopped at a New Jersey airport after a body scanner revealed an unusual object hidden in his groin area. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials later discovered a live 5-inch red-eared slider turtle wrapped in a small blue towel.
Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey, said, “We’ve seen travelers conceal knives and weapons, but this is the first time someone has tried to hide a live animal in their pants.”
The passenger was escorted away by Port Authority police and missed his flight. The turtle, fortunately unharmed, was confiscated by authorities.
Man Nabbed With 300 Tarantulas and Other Dangerous Insects
In another smuggling case, Peruvian authorities arrested a South Korean man at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima after discovering he had hundreds of exotic insects strapped to his body.
The man was found carrying about 300 tarantulas, 100 centipedes, and nine bullet ants—the insect known for one of the most painful stings in the animal kingdom. Officers noticed his suspiciously “swollen stomach” and conducted a search, uncovering the creatures packed in plastic bags under his clothes.
Officials say the suspect remains in custody as investigations continue into his intended destination and motives.
