Man held with 496 ‘good luck’ fishes

Chennai: An unemployed Indian national returning from Malaysia was held at Chennai Airport for smuggling in 496 ornamental fishes.
Customs officials asked Basheer Ahemad, 26, to open his two suitcases and found the fishes hidden in polythene containers.
Customs commissioner C. Rajan said a Malaysian in Kuala Lumpur paid Basheer to carry the suitcases to Chennai where another man would collect them at the airport.
Rajan said: "Basheer went to work in Malaysia recently but failed to get a job. So he decided to return to India but did not have money.
"He approached a Malaysian for help and was asked to carry the two suitcases to Chennai. He was told he would be paid 5,000 rupees (RM430) for each suitcase."
The species seized from Basheer were the Clown Loach, Arowana, Red Parrot and Tiger Barb. Each pair fetches 20,000 rupees in the market here .
Rajan said the fishes were meant for vasthu, an Indian version of feng shui.
22/07/07 Bernama/New Straits Times

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Categories: Airports Jul 2007, Foreign Jul 2007