Red panda seized as Thai airport stops animal smugglers

Thai customs officials have arrested six Indians for attempting to smuggle a red panda and 86 other animals out of the kingdom, including snakes, parrots and monitor lizards, officials said on Wednesday.

The illicit menagerie was discovered hidden in the suspects' checked luggage at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport as they tried to fly to Mumbai. The suspects face a maximum of 10 years in jail or four times the amount of import duties.