Snakes on a plane: Passenger manages to smuggle two parrots, a squirrel and FOUR snakes on eight-hour flight



A passenger was arrested after security officials discovered he had carried snakes, birds and a squirrel in hand luggage on a long-haul flight.

In a thankfully less-dramatic version of the 2006 thriller film Snakes On A Plane, fellow passengers were blissfully unaware of the man's box full of pets.

However, police arrested the suspect at Abu Dhabi International Airport after the Etihad Airways flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, when the animals were found with him.

Hand luggage: These snakes, as well as two parrots and a squirrel were found in the possession of a passenger at Abu Dhabi Airport

Terrifying: Samuel L. Jackson stars in the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane

The snakes were identified by an expert as being non-venomous reticulated and blood pythons.

It was unclear how he managed to get the animals past security in Indonesia.



Khamis al Marar, the acting director general of security affairs and ports in Abu Dhabi, stressed that carrying animals on board is strictly prohibited.

In this case, other passengers' safety was at risk, he said.

He added that licensed animals had to travel in specially designed boxes, which should be stored in the aircraft's hold.

The unidentified passenger was travelling on Etihad Airlines flight EY471.



A spokesman said: 'Etihad can confirm a passenger arriving on EY471 from Jakarta on December 3 was detained at Abu Dhabi International Airport, after airport officials located a bag containing live animals on the passenger.



'The matter has been investigated by airport and police authorities and Etihad has co-operated fully on this issue.'

