Amritsar Airport Wildlife Smuggling Case: Passenger Held With Peacock Taxidermy

January 22, 2026

Amritsar: An incident at Amritsar Airport has pointed to an international wildlife smuggling network. Customs at Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok with a dead taxidermy trophy of the national bird, the peacock. This is reported to be the first instance of peacock taxidermy smuggling in Punjab.

Accused Identified as Meerut Resident

The arrested accused has been identified as Mohammad Akbar Ahmed, 39, a resident of Peer Wala Mohalla, Kasampur village in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. The accused arrived in Amritsar from Bangkok on January 19th on Thai Lion Air flight SL-214. Customs officials took him into custody as soon as the flight landed at around 2:45 p.m.

Suspicious Luggage Leads to Recovery

As the accused was exiting through the green channel after customs clearance, officers became suspicious of his luggage. An X-ray scan revealed suspicious objects inside the bag. A thorough search subsequently led to the recovery of a peacock taxidermy trophy, wood, and other related materials.

During the operation, the Customs Department also seized the accused’s mobile phone. Officials say forensic examination of the mobile phone could help uncover the international smuggling network and its mastermind.

Accused tried to pass off trophy as fake, officials dismissed claim

During interrogation, the accused tried to claim the recovered trophy was fake and artificial, but officials dismissed his claims. A team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, called to the scene, confirmed in a preliminary investigation that the recovered peacock trophy was genuine.

Peacocks are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which is considered the most protected category. Following this, the Customs Department seized the recovered items under Section 110 of the Customs Act and arrested the accused. A case has been registered against the accused under Section 135 of the Customs Act and Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

According to the law, smuggling the national bird, the peacock, or its body parts carries a punishment of three to seven years in prison and a fine of at least 25,000 rupees. Investigating agencies suspect that such taxidermy trophies, valued at lakhs of rupees in the international market, are sold as decorative items.