Canadian arrested for carrying crocodile skull at Delhi airport

Indian authorities say they arrested a Canadian man at Delhi airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage.

The 32-year-old man was at the airport on Monday to catch his flight to Canada when he was first stopped during security.

“Upon examination, a skull with sharp teeth, resembling the jaw of a baby crocodile, weighing approximately 777 g (1.71 lb), was discovered wrapped in a cream-coloured cloth,” Delhi Customs said. in a statement on Thursday.

The man was arrested and the skull was handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife, they said.

Authorities said possession of the crocodile skull violated India’s wildlife protection law and its Customs Act.

An analysis of the skull by the Department of Forests and Wildlife found that it belonged to a species protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

“The texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate and nostrils confirmed that the object was the skull of a baby crocodile,” they said.

A forest official said the Times of India newspaper that the man had supposedly bought the skull in Thailand.

“The man did not possess the mandatory permit required to transport wildlife items,” said forest officer Rajesh Tandon.

the man too He told officers he had not hunted or killed the crocodile.reports the Hindustan Times.

Further tests are being carried out to identify the exact subspecies of the animal.

Meanwhile, Delhi Customs says a case has been registered against the man and an investigation is underway.

Last year, a 32-year-old Canadian woman was detained at Delhi airport after she was found to have horns from an unidentified animal in her luggage. The woman told officials that she had picked them up during a trek in the northern Ladakh region and decided to take them as a souvenir.