The man appeared nervous upon arrival from Thailand, according to Indian customs. When his baggage was searched, a large quantity of illegally smuggled animals was found.
Among other things, two tarantulas, a week-old bear and six short-haired flying squirrels, a small arboreal mammal that can glide between tree tops up to 100 meters, were taken into custody. On pictures released by customs, the six animals are seen huddled together in a basket.
He was also transporting several sunbirds, turtles and lizards, including iguanas. Some of the animals were dead upon arrival, according to India's Ministry of Finance.
Earlier in June, another Indian was arrested for animal smuggling upon arrival from Thailand, with several turtles and several snakes of the endangered species of the venomous horned viper. In February, a smuggler was stopped with five gibbon apes at Bombay's airport.
The smuggling of animals is driven to a high degree by the large demand for exotic pets.
Corrected: In a previous version, an incorrect species of animal was mentioned.
