Some of the snakes slithered out of the boxes on the floor.
At least 22 snakes of different species were recovered from a woman passenger who arrived in Chennai from Malaysia on Friday. The serpents were stored in several transparent plastic containers in her checked-in luggage.
Visuals from the Chennai airport showed officials cautiously taking out the snakes using a long rod with some of them slithering out of the boxes on the floor.
The woman was arrested by the customs department on her arrival from Kuala Lumpur, officials said.
A chameleon was also seized from her baggage, officials said.
"On 28.04.23, a female pax who arrived from Kuala Lumpur by Flight No. AK13 was intercepted by Customs. On examination of her checked-in baggage, 22 Snakes of various species and a Chameleon were found & seized under the Customs Act, 1962 r/w Wildlife Protection act, 1972," tweeted Chennai Customs.