Snakes on a plane: Indian customs stop passenger carrying 47 pythons

Airport authorities in Tiruchirapalli in southern India have detained a man attempting to smuggle 47 pythons into the country from Malaysia, Indian and Malaysian media reported on Tuesday.

The man from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India's southernmost state, also had two lizards in his luggage when he arrived from Kuala Lumpur. He was stopped by suspicious customs officials.

The reptiles, which were packed in boxes with holes in them, were confiscated and are to be returned to Malaysia. It remained unclear for what reason the man had intended to smuggle the reptiles.

The Malay Mail reported that wildlife smugglers often try to bring exotic reptiles to India from Southeast Asia.