More and more exotic species are being smuggled through Bengaluru After catching 500 parakeets last week, the cops seized 280 star tortoises this week.
Based on the information from sources, the South Zone Forest Cell in Chennai alerted the Forest Cell of the CID in Karnataka, who later busted a possible live star tortoise smuggling ring in Bengaluru and arrested Vijay with 280 live star tortoises.
The officer attached to the CID, Forest Cell of Karnataka said that the two kingpins who operate in South India are on the Forest Cell's radar. Based on the clues, the search operation began on Saturday in areas like KR Puram and Hoskote.
Police say the accused, Vijay, is a tribal belonging to the Akki Pikki community. The kingpins, who are still at large, might have sent the consignment from the Andhra Pradesh coast via Hindupur. Vijay, they say, would have entered Karnataka from there, before settling at Siddalghatta in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
"We suspect that, since the star tortoise is a schedule 4 animal in wildlife act, it is in great demand in places like Singapore. The accused, who operates for kingpins sitting in Chennai, may have planned to smuggle the animals through the Bengaluru Airport or would have taken them to Chennai to sent the consignment via the harbour," said Purushotham, Inspector, CID Forest Cell, Karnataka.
After he was arrested, a case was filed against him at the Dibburhalli Police Station, and he was sent to Judicial custody.
Recently, Chennai customs officials also seized 500 star tortoises and suspected the same team was behind the wildlife trade in Southern India.
"The star tortoise is rare species and found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. It is in great demand in places like Malasiya and Singapore, where such species are a star attraction in pet shops," said a forest official.
A few weeks back, a smuggler was arrested from HSR layout when he was trying to sell Alexandrian parakeets. His calls were also traced to Chennai.
With the many raids on smugglers in recent times, it indicates that Bengaluru is slowly emerging as wildlife smugglers haven.
