A baggage-screening worker at Suvarnabhumi airport has been suspended for failing to search a bag that turned out to be filled with smuggled animals, some of which got loose and caused chaos on a Bangkok-Taipei flight.

Management of Suvarnabhumi airport said on Thursday that CCTV video showed the employee of AOT Aviation Security Co failed to open a bag that had been flagged as suspicious by a colleague monitoring an X-ray screening unit.

Two foreigners carried the bag past the X-ray unit at about 1.45pm on Wednesday. They boarded a Thai VietJet Air flight that departed at 3.32pm the same day.

According to witness reports, the chaos onboard the plane began shortly after takeoff when a passenger noticed a rat while walking to the toilet. Cabin staff then searched the plane and found an otter under a passenger’s seat.

Meanwhile, a male flight attendant was able to catch the rat — after being bitten on the finger — and place it in a box.

Cabin staff made an announcement asking anyone who had brought animals onto the plane to identify themselves. A woman said she was responsible, and a search turned up a black bag containing more animals under her seat.

Officials at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei found the bag contained 20 Burmese star tortoises, a snake, two otters, a prairie dog and two black giant squirrels.

The suspect was reportedly being questioned by police in Taiwan and could be fined up to NT$1 million (1.15 million baht).