The five Siamang Gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) were found ingeniously concealed in plastic boxes and cages, which were hidden inside the passenger's trolley bags, the officials said
The rare and endangered species is mainly found in parts of Southeast Asia
In a wildlife smuggling bust, the Mumbai Customs officials at city airport rescued as many as five Siamang Gibbons, an endangered arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. They are the largest of the gibbons, the officials said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) intercepted a passenger arriving from Kuala Lumpur on the night of February 4th to 5th, 2025.
During profiling and routine checks, Customs officials discovered five Siamang Gibbons, a protected species listed in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the officials said.
The five Siamang Gibbons (Symphalangus Syndactylus) were found ingeniously concealed in plastic boxes and cages, which were hidden inside the passenger's trolley bags.
The rare and endangered species is mainly found in parts of Southeast Asia and is highly protected under international wildlife conservation laws.
The Customs officers, acting on a tip-off and standard profiling, successfully prevented the illegal transportation of the animals.
"Immediate steps are being taken to deport the Gibbons back to their country of origin, ensuring their safety and compliance with wildlife protection regulations," the officials said.
The passenger, who was allegedly attempting to smuggle the animals into India, has been handed over to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) for further investigation and legal action.
