Chennai: 500 live star tortoises seized from airport
FollowChennai airport customs officials intercepted a consignment and seized 500 live star tortoises that were to be smuggled out to Malaysia on a Thai Airways flights.
According to a Times of India report, the Customs and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officials found the live tortoises hidden in a consignment containing dead crabs.
Deputy director of WCCB S R V Murthy said the consignment was booked from an export unit functioning at Ambattur.
The value of the 500 tortoises is estimated to be around ₹50 lakh in the international market.
“We are yet to arrest anyone in the case. We are investigating as to who had sent the consignment,” said Santhi Muthu Swami Pillai, Wildlife Inspector, WCCB told New Indian Express.
The Indian Star tortoise is popular as a pet and a spiritual symbol, largely because of its striking shell that has a star-like radiating pattern of yellow and black.
According to wildlife monitoring group Traffic, the tortoise has a high demand is south Asian markets and is facing extinction as demand for it as an exotic pet booms.
This relatively rare species can only be found in rivers in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
