The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 540 star tortoise seized in airport

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

540 star tortoise seized in airport

Special Correspondent

A passenger tried to smuggle them

CHENNAI: Five hundred and forty live star tortoises were seized by officers of the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs from a Kuala Lumpur-bound passenger here on Monday.

According to C. Rajan, Commissioner of Customs, Airport, the officials intercepted a passenger who had completed the pre-boarding formalities and was passing through the Customs channel.

When questioned about the contents of his baggage, he did not answer cogently. The baggage was seized, and on examination it was found to contain the endangered species. The value of the tortoises was Rs.5.50 lakh in the international market.

Mr.Rajan said the star tortoises are found in the forest of Andhra Pradesh from where it was collected and brought to Chennai for being smuggled to the Far Eastern countries, where there is a big demand for this variety as it is considered a good omen and grown as pets.

Illegal export of endangered species has been increasingly noticed at the Anna International Terminal.

In the last financial year, Customs officials seized 1,999 tortoises of this species and a sea horse.

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