Passenger Arrested After Trying to Board Flight with Skull of a Baby Crocodile in Their Luggage

Mar. 15, 2025

Delhi Customs/X

Delhi Customssaid in a statement on Xthat the 32-year-old man had been “intercepted” at a security check-in at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) before his flight from New Delhi to Canada on Monday, Jan. 6.

The organization came to the conclusion based on the skull’s “texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate” and the shape of its “nostrils.”

The man was subsequently arrested for illegal possession, attempt to export a “protected wildlife item” and for violating the Customs Act of 1962, which prohibits the misdeclaration, illegal export and smuggling of these kinds of items, Delhi Customs said.

“This case highlights a serious violation of wildlife and customs laws,” Delhi Customs wrote. “Collaboration between Customs and Forest Departments is crucial to ensuring such protected wildlife items are not smuggled.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The crocodile skull was later handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife “for lab testing. A “further investigation” into the incident was also opened, Delhi Customs added.

“India is among the top ten countries in terms of using the airline sector for wildlife trafficking,” said Atul Bagai, the former Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in India, perCNN. “This is an unwanted accolade.”

source: people.com