Canadian man held for smuggling crocodile skull at Delhi airport

A 32-year-old Canadian national was apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying the skull of a crocodile in his bag, an official said on Thursday.

According to the official, the passenger, scheduled to depart to Canada, was intercepted during a security check at Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport on January 6.

When the custom department officials checked his bag, they found the skull with sharp teeth, resembling the jaw of a baby crocodile.

“It was weighing approximately 777 grams and was discovered wrapped in a cream-colored cloth,” the officer said.

The security personnel swung into action and the Department of Forests and Wildlife (GNCTD) was alerted, after which they dispatched some officers to the Delhi airport where they conducted a diagnostic test.

“The texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate, and nostrils confirmed the item as the skull of a baby crocodile,” the officer said.

The diagnostic test revealed that the skull belonged to a species protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WLPA).

Further, scientific analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, is required to confirm the species, the officer added.

Accordingly, based on the examination, the accused passenger, whose identity is yet to be revealed, was arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act.

“The seized skull was handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife (West Division, GNCTD) for lab testing. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway,” the officer added.