In a major wildlife trafficking interception, officials of the Mumbai Customs at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Tuesday detained a foreign national arriving from Bangkok and seized two Silvery Gibbons (Hylobates Moloch) concealed inside his checked trolley bag. One of the gibbons was found alive, while the other was discovered dead at the time of recovery.

Authorities acted on specific intelligence inputs and intercepted the passenger upon arrival. A thorough examination of the luggage revealed a concealed basket containing the endangered primates. The Silvery Gibbon, distinguished by its silvery-grey fur, is native to the Indonesian island of Java and is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to rapid habitat loss and illegal wildlife trade.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the passenger had initially travelled from Malaysia to Thailand, where the bag containing the gibbons was handed over to him by a member of an international wildlife trafficking syndicate. The syndicate is believed to have arranged his travel itinerary and instructed him to deliver the primates to contacts in India.

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