Exotic Lizard Smuggling Foiled at Visakhapatnam Airport

Two people were arrested at Visakhapatnam Airport for smuggling six live eastern blue-tongued lizards from Thailand. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted them, finding the exotic reptiles hidden in cake packets. The individuals were charged under the Customs and Wildlife Protection Acts.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) thwarted an attempt to smuggle six live eastern blue-tongued lizards at Visakhapatnam International Airport, officials announced on Wednesday.

Based on precise intelligence, DRI officers detained two individuals arriving from Bangkok after discovering the exotic reptiles camouflaged in cake packets during a luggage search, as per an agency release.

The arrested duo face charges under the Customs Act, 1962, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for attempting to import live animals without necessary permits. The recovered lizards have been sent back to Thailand, according to DRI officials.

(With inputs from agencies.)