Man with crocodile skull in luggage arrested at Delhi airport

Indian authorities stated that they arrested a Canadian man at Delhi Airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage. The 32-year-old man was stopped during security checks on Monday as he was preparing to board a flight back to Canada.

“Upon inspection, a skull wrapped in beige cloth, with sharp teeth resembling the lower jaw of a young crocodile, weighing approximately 777 grams (1.71 pounds), was discovered,” Delhi Customs said in a statement on Thursday. The man was subsequently arrested, and the skull was handed over to the Forest and Wildlife Department.

Officials stated that possessing a crocodile skull is a violation of India’s Wildlife Protection Act and the Customs Act. Analysis of the skull by the Forest and Wildlife Department indicated that it belonged to a species protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. “Its texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate, and nostrils all confirmed the item to be the skull of a young crocodile,” they said.

A forest official told The Times of India that the man allegedly purchased the skull in Thailand. "The man did not possess the mandatory permits required for wildlife items," said forest official Rajesh Tandon. According to the Hindustan Times, the man also told officials that he did not hunt or kill the crocodile.

Further tests are currently being conducted to determine the exact subspecies of the animal. In the meantime, Delhi Customs stated that a case has been registered against the man and an investigation is underway. Last year, a 32-year-old Canadian woman was stopped at Delhi Airport after unidentified animal horns were found in her luggage. The woman told officials that she had picked up the horns while trekking in the northern Ladakh region and decided to take them back as souvenirs.