A red panda and many other animals and birds have been recovered from luggage in Thailand. The animals were found in several passengers' bags at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday (6 March), and local authorities detained six people, all Indian nationals.

In a report on Wednesday night, the British broadcaster BBC said 87 animals and birds came out of the six passengers' luggage one after another, from various species of snake, parrots and large lizards to a red panda.

Thai customs officials said the animals had been packed into bags to be smuggled. The detained passengers were travelling with them from Bangkok to Mumbai in India. If the trafficking charge is proved, the six could face up to 10 years in prison.

Thai customs released several photos of the rescued animals. They show a red panda inside a basket, parrots in plastic containers, and snakes of various species wrapped in cloth inside fabric bags.

Thailand is one of the world's main transit hubs for wildlife trafficking. Smuggled animals are usually sold in China and Vietnam, but the market for wildlife smuggled into India is growing.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.