Canadian Man With Crocodile Skull in His Luggage Arrested at Airport Following Security Check

A bizarre find during a security check has landed a Canadian traveler in legal trouble.

A 32-year-old Canadian man was arrested at a Delhi, India airport on Monday after authorities discovered a crocodile skull in his luggage during a routine security check. The skull, weighing 1.71lb, was carefully wrapped in a cream-colored cloth, according to Delhi customs officials.

The man, who was en route to Canada, now faces charges under India's Wildlife Protection Act and Customs Act. The skull was handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife, where experts identified it as belonging to a baby crocodile protected under Indian law, as reported by BBC.

"The texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate, and nostrils confirmed the item as the skull of a baby crocodile," officials said in a statement. The man purchased the skull in Thailand, authorities believe.

"The man did not possess the mandatory permission required to carry wildlife items," said Rajesh Tandon, a forest officer involved in the case.

The traveler denied hunting or killing the animal, claiming instead that he had acquired the skull as a souvenir. Wildlife officials are conducting further tests to determine the exact sub-species of the crocodile and continue their investigation.

This incident recalls a similar case from last year when a Canadian woman was stopped at Delhi airport for carrying animal horns in her luggage. She told authorities that she had picked up the horns during a trek in Ladakh, intending to take them home as a keepsake.

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