Three arrested at IGIA for smuggling rare monkeys

The passengers identified as Al Dhaheri Hamad, Al Shamsi Mohammed, Al Shamsi Rashid, were intercepted by CISF personnel during checking after they arrived from Bangkok here and were proceeding to board a Jet Airways flight to Dubai.

The security personnel were stunned to recover a monkey (species 'splendour lorris'), seven inches in length and 150gm in weight, hidden in the undergarments of one of the passengers, who were travelling in a group.

"On their direction another little monkey was recovered from a dustbin in the airport.

"They had abandoned him as they were unable to carry him," a senior security official said.

Wildlife and Customs department officials were immediately called in and the three were handed over to them for further questioning.

Sources said the trio have been booked under various sections of Wildlife Act and were handed over to the Customs authorities who later arrested them.

The authorities will ascertain the details about the exact origin and status of the recovered monkeyes, they said.

This is a rare instance of smuggled endangered animals being recovered at the IGIA.

The CISF has decided to award its personnel who detected the incident.