An employee of a private security company has been suspended from duty by Suvarnabhumi airport management after he failed to check the baggage of two foreign passengers, which was later found to contain two small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus), according to the airport’s public relations office.
The animals escaped from carry-on baggage, causing a commotion on the Thai Vietjet flight, which left Bangkok for Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon.
An official manning the X-ray machine found something suspicious in the baggage, which could have been a prohibitedobject, and alerted his colleague to do a manual examinationof the bag. The baggage was not, however, opened and was allowed to be carried on board the flight by two passengers.
Suvarnabhumi airport has warned passengers not to take, unless they have advance permission, live animals or animal carcasses on board any flight, or a face fine and/or imprisonment.
A video clip, featuring the commotion on the flight as passengers tried to catch the escaped otters, was posted in TikTok on Thursday. The incident prompted the air crew to order a search of all passengers’ carry-on baggage.
Meanwhile, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said that, in addition to the two otters, several other animals were smuggled onto the flight, including 20 Burmese star tortoises and two oriental giant squirrels.
