DRI Seizes 45 Live Reptiles at Trichy Airport, Two Arrested

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), working together with the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), Trichy, has foiled an attempt to smuggle 45 live reptiles into the country through Trichy International Airport. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers stopped two Indian passengers who landed on 26 October 2026 on a flight from Bangkok routed through Colombo.

How the animals were carried

A systematic examination of the passengers' baggage brought out live wildlife packed inside 27 food packets. Every animal was found in a sedated condition. Because the consignment was broken up into small packets of what looked like food, the reptiles were meant to pass as ordinary provisions in checked and hand baggage, which is why physical examination rather than a scan settled the matter.

What was recovered

Action taken

• The reptiles were seized at the airport
• The two passengers were arrested by AIU, Trichy, under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962
• The recovered wildlife was handed over to AIU, Trichy, for further necessary action

The agencies behind the operation

The DRI is the enforcement and intelligence arm of the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance, and the Air Intelligence Unit is the customs intelligence set-up stationed at airports. The operation was intelligence-led, which means officers acted on prior information about the specific passengers rather than on random checking. Trichy International Airport, in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, handles traffic to and from South East Asia and Sri Lanka, and the Bangkok to Colombo to Trichy routing used in this case runs through two of those destinations.

Why the case matters

Wildlife trafficking moves live animals across borders for the exotic pet trade, and the species found here are not native to India. The DRI described the interception as a mark of its resolve to take on wildlife trafficking through intelligence-led enforcement and close coordination with the customs authorities, so that the illegal movement of wildlife into the country is prevented. For an aspirant the case is a ready example of the Customs Act being used against wildlife smuggling, and of the DRI and AIU working jointly at an airport.