Guwahati: The Assam police on Thursday seized 40 exotic animals from two Delhi-registered SUVs at Rangiya in lower Assam’s Kamrup district.
Police said the animals were transported in the two Toyota SUVs from the Mizoram-Myanmar border and were bound for Siliguri in north Bengal via NH 31.
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The seized animals include wallabies, exotic chimpanzees, rare tortoises, and monkeys.
“Acting on a tip-off, Rangiya police intercepted the vehicles (registration numbers DL 8CAQ 9876 and DL 10CH 7924) and detained two people after finding the rare animals packed in cages. The two said they travelled from the Mizoram-Myanmar border and were heading for Siliguri for delivering the consignment,” said a police official.
The official said the two persons caught with the exotic animals were being interrogated for information about others involved in the animal-trafficking trade.
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The animals have been handed over to the Assam Forest officials for deciding what to do with them.
Initially, the animals will be kept at the zoo in Guwahati and checked for any health issues.
Earlier in March, police seized macaws, silvery marmosets, and golden-headed tamarin – all exotic animals from Brazil’s Amazon –in upper Assam’s Golaghat district. These animals were smuggled from Myanmar via Moreh in Manipur.