September 5, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – Airlines flying to and from India, particularly from South-East Asia, are required to step up responsibility in curbing the transit of protected wildlife and undocumented animals.
In a circular issued on July 23, India Civil Aviation director-general Faez Ahmed Kidwai said the Office Guidelines for Deportation of Live Animals Detected as Unbeknownst Imports circular is applicable to all aircraft operators and airlines operating in India.
According to the circular, there were multiple instances of the carriage of live animals into India by passengers without proper declaration or clearance.
“These are classified as unbeknownst imports. As per the regulations laid down by Animal Quarantine & Certification Services (AQCS) and Indian Customs, such animals are subject to immediate deportation to their country of origin, with appropriate intimation to all concerned stakeholders and authorities in the country of origin,” it read.
As a result, authorities are stepping up action against the rampant smuggling of wildlife in passenger luggage between South-East Asia and India.
Airlines must now cover the cost of repatriating animals to their country of origin, including their care and welfare until return, and complete all documentation.
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“The circular also requires airlines to establish and implement preventive mechanisms to detect unauthorised carriage of live animals by passengers into India, train staff at check-in counters, boarding gates and in-flight operations and display passenger advisories and signage on the matter,” said the circular found on the regulator’s website.
On July 25, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said it had foiled a bid to smuggle out protected species in a joint operation with KL International Airport’s Aviation Security Team (Avsec) at Terminal 1.
A man was arrested and later charged for having two Silvery lutung (Trachypithecus cristatus), and two siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), among others, in his luggage.
“The Malaysian male was arrested while trying to board Flight MH198 to Hyderabad, India. Based on information received, two AKPS personnel and three Avsec personnel conducted detailed inspection on his luggage.
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“The animals are protected species under Malaysian and international laws, and the case was investigated under the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008,” read the AKPS statement.
On Aug 1, Mubarak Ali Mohamed Ibrahim was fined RM110,000 on three counts of illegally possessing the animals.
The Gibbon Conservation Society, in a statement on Feb 12, said over 5,000 smuggled wildlife from Malaysia were confiscated in India in 2024.
“Between January and February 2025, hundreds more were confiscated, including five infant gibbons, with three found dead.
“Things are not getting better. Should we be afraid? Are we in a crisis?” asked Gibbon Conservation Society founder and president Mariani Ramli, who co-wrote the statement with Dr Susan Cheyne of the IUCN Species Survival Committee Primate Specialist Group Section on Small Apes.
“These cases highlight the brutal reality of wildlife trafficking, where for every smuggled gibbon, many more – especially juveniles and adult females – perish during capture and transport.
“We have shared our recommendations and invitation for collaboration with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (recently renamed Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry) to take decisive action to protect all Malaysia’s wildlife species,” said Gibbon Conservation Society operations director Ana Jonessy in an email to The Star.
On March 13, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) had been instructed to strengthen monitoring and baggage screening at KLIA to combat wildlife smuggling, following a statement by then Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad admitting that Malaysia had become a transit hub for wildlife and wildlife parts trafficking.
In response, MAHB said it was improving security at KLIA and working with enforcement agencies to combat the scourge.
In a statement on March 17, MAHB said its Avsec team remained committed to preventing illegal activities that threaten passenger safety.
“While our baggage handling system is designed to focus on these critical security priorities, MAHB remains committed to combating wildlife smuggling through close collaboration with relevant authorities,” it said.
It said it was working closely with the Customs Department, Perhilitan, Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) and the police.
“Recognising the importance of a multi-agency approach, Malaysia Airports collaborates with enforcement authorities and relevant non-governmental organisations such as Traffic (an NGO dedicated to stem the illicit wildlife trade) to create awareness and step up anti-smuggling efforts,” it said.
It added that these collaborations resulted in improved security checks and targeted baggage screening for “high-risk flights”, though it stopped short of defining the destination of these flights.
In June 2024, MAHB donated two Belgian Malinois detection dogs to Perhilitan as part of its corporate social responsibility activity.
Imported from the Netherlands, these dogs are specially trained to detect endangered species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
A. Stephen, the principal of Stephen K9 Academy – a professional dog training academy based in Selangor – said there is a pressing need for more wildlife sniffer dogs at the main gateways.
“Nothing works like trained dogs, but how much can two handle when tens of thousands of passengers travel daily? They can’t work nonstop without breaks – they’re not machines,” said the trainer, who brought in the two Belgian Malinois for MAHB.
Traffic South-East Asia lauded India’s stance on wildlife.
“This is exactly the type of decisive action we need, especially with the frequency of cases involving airlines and airports. When transport and logistics sector are part of the illegal trade chain, it’s only right they become part of the solution,” said Traffic South-East Asia director Kanitha Krishnasamy.
“This new rule will also have implications for countries like Malaysia and Thailand that should expect to receive smuggled wildlife repatriated by airlines. When this happens, authorities will need to be prepared for the influx and range of exotic species.”
Besides Malaysia, Thailand too has been described as a hub for illicit wildlife trade.
“The almost-weekly discoveries and diversity of wildlife en route to India is very troubling, raising so many questions about the sourcing and demand,” she said.
The trafficking of live animals by air underscores how demand for exotic pets were fuelling the trade, she added.
“Are the animals going straight to shops and consumers, or stocking and fuelling illicit captive breeding operations?” said Kanitha in a statement on June 10.
The Star has also reached out to the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, which is in charge of Perhilitan, MAHB, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air.