"Rats Roaming Inside the Cabin"... 33 Animals Found on Board

Found in bags without baggage tags
Fines may be imposed under Animal Infectious Disease Prevention Ordinance

Thirty-three live animals were found in passengers' checked luggage onboard, causing an uproar in the cabin.

According to Taiwanese media, on the evening of the 4th (local time) around 8 PM, a passenger on VietJet Air flight VZ564 from Bangkok, Thailand to Taoyuan, Taiwan, spotted a rat roaming inside the cabin. The rat was actually a marmot, but since it was still a baby, the passenger mistook it for a rat.

Marmot found on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.
[Photo by Taiwanese media capture]

The flight attendants searched for the rat but were unable to capture it immediately. Upon receiving the report from the crew, the captain promptly informed the Taiwanese airport authorities.

The captain then landed the plane. Airport police were on standby at the airport. After more than an hour of thorough inspection by staff from Taiwan's Animal and Plant Quarantine Office, the marmot was captured.

The authorities found an untagged bag among the luggage. Inside, a total of 33 live animals were discovered in the checked baggage, including the marmot, two otters, 28 star tortoises, and two rodents.

During the commotion, one flight attendant panicked upon seeing what appeared to be a snake's head, but it turned out to be a tortoise's head.

An otter was found inside the untagged passenger luggage on VietJet Air flight VZ564 from Bangkok, Thailand to Taoyuan, Taiwan.
[Photo by Taiwanese media capture]

The owner of the bag was identified as a Taiwanese female passenger. Authorities are investigating her on suspicion of animal smuggling. However, the woman strongly denies the charges.

If the charges are confirmed, the authorities plan to impose a fine equivalent to approximately 40 million KRW under the Animal Epidemic Prevention Ordinance.

Marmot (left in the photo) and star tortoise (left in the photo) found in passengers' carry-on luggage. [Photo source = captured from Taiwanese media]

They will then check whether the case falls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and take follow-up measures accordingly. The purpose of this convention is to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival, applying various protection levels to guarantee the protection of 33,000 species.

For this purpose, all animals except the star tortoises, which are not subject to quarantine, have been sent to the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology for examination.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.