PETALING JAYA – A recent incident where a woman was caught with almost two dozen snakes in her check-in luggage at India’s Chennai Airport has left netizens with a myriad of mixed emotions.
Regardless of how they digested the news, they all agreed that the notion of 22 snakes being smuggled across the Indian Ocean was surprising.
Numerous people raised serious concerns online over how the authorities had failed to notice the stowaway serpents.
They said such oversights have occurred too often in a short period, citing another incident where 336kg of heroin worth RM789.56 million was smuggled to Brisbane, Australia in a shipping container on March 13.
On the other hand, many netizens opted for a more light-hearted approach towards the issue, quipping that customs mistook the snakes’ silhouettes for food items such as spaghetti and keropok lekor.
A number of them also drew parallels to the action film Snakes on a Plane, asking who would play lead-actor Samuel L. Jackson’s character in this scenario.
Meanwhile, others questioned how the authorities had overlooked such contraband, when their personal belongings were often confiscated.
“If it were (my case), even mineral water won’t pass (a security check), gosh,” user @sljgn said.
“Somehow, my deodorant spray got confiscated the last time I travelled to Singapore,” user @therealhaslina commented.
“So, my Victoria’s Secret body mist cannot pass through (customs) but 22 snakes can? AirAsia?” @TalibRedmayne asked.
Nonetheless, several netizens speculated that corruption was at play, claiming bribery was the answer behind the puzzling occurrence.
On Friday, a woman who flew from Kuala Lumpur on an AirAsia flight was intercepted at Chennai Airport.
Upon examining her check-in luggage, Chennai customs found 22 snakes of various species and a chameleon packed in transparent plastic containers, which have been seized under customs and wildlife protection laws. – The Vibes, May 1, 2023
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