Canadian man held for carrying crocodile skull at Delhi airport

PTI, Jan 9, 2025, 5:28 PM IST

New Delhi: A Canadian man has been arrested for allegedly carrying a crocodile skull in his bag at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here, the customs department said on Thursday.

The passenger was intercepted during a security check at Terminal 3 of the airport as he was preparing to board his flight to Montreal on Monday, the department reported.

“Upon examination, a skull with sharp teeth, resembling the jaw of a baby crocodile, weighing approximately 777 grams, was found wrapped in a cream-coloured cloth,” the customs department said in a post on X.

The Department of Forests and Wildlife under the Delhi government conducted a diagnostic test and confirmed that the texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate and nostrils identified the item as the skull of a baby crocodile.

The skull belongs to a species protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WLPA), the department said.

Further scientific analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, is required to confirm the species, the customs department added, citing the findings of the forest department.

The passenger has been arrested, and the seized skull was handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife (West Division, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) for lab testing.

“This case highlights a serious violation of wildlife and customs laws. Collaboration between customs and forest departments is crucial to ensure that such protected wildlife items are not smuggled,” the department said.