Goa, June 2 -- A major wildlife smuggling attempt was foiled at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport when customs officials apprehended an Indian passenger arriving from Thailand carrying dozens of venomous snakes and turtles hidden in his checked baggage. The haul included 44 Indonesian pit vipers, three spider-tailed horned vipers-venomous snakes known for preying on birds, and five Asian leaf turtles. The identity of the passenger has not been disclosed.

Photos released by Mumbai Customs showed the vividly colored snakes writhing inside a plastic bucket, underscoring the unusual nature of this seizure, as reptiles are far less commonly intercepted than typical contraband such as gold or narcotics. The wildlife wa...