Airport Security in India Find Venomous Snake in Man’s Carry-On Luggage

Airport security finds odd items inside the luggage of passengers all the time, but officials at an Indian airport got more than they bargained for when they discovered a venomous snake inside a man’s carry-on bag.

According to UPI.com, Central Industrial Security Force personnel screening baggage at Cochin International Airport in India saw on the X-ray machine what appeared to be a snake inside a bag of potatoes a male passenger was attempting to take on his flight.

The passenger told security officials that he purchased the bag of potatoes from a farmer and placed the bag inside his luggage before heading to the airport for a trip to Abu Dhabi. He told police that he had no idea the snake was inside the bag.

The snake is believed to be an Indian krait, one of the most venomous snakes in the region.

Police at the Indian airport arrested the man for possession of the dangerous animal, but officials released him a short time later after an investigation revealed he was likely telling the truth about it being an accident.

Snakes have been in the news, as a little boy recently made headlines after he was not allowed to board a plane in South Africa with a stuffed toy python due to it looking too much like the real thing.