Karnataka - Bangalore   

Green turtles and exotic fish recovered

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Green turtles that were seized at HAL Airport in Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore: A consignment of 1,000 green turtles and 500 ornamental fishes were seized by the Customs officials here on Sunday. This is the first time that officials have recovered live animals as an import.

The animals were found in the baggage of a Chennai-based passenger who was returning from Singapore by an Indian flight. Bangalore Customs Headquarters (Preventive), the intelligence wing of Customs, found the live animals packed in covers in three suitcases.

“On an earlier occasion, we recovered several consignments of star turtles exported from here. But this is the first time that we have seized imported live animals,” said Assistant Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) M.M. Ravi Rajendran.

Exporting or importing of these live animals is a violation of the Customs Act 1962 and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The Custom’s intelligence wing got information that a person was illegally bringing live animals in the Indian flight from Singapore arriving at 9.30 a.m., and suspected Buhar Jamal who was moving with three suitcases in the Green Channel.

This is the channel used by passengers who do not have any articles for which duty needs to be paid.

While screening Jamal’s baggage four packets each containing 250 tiny turtles. Exotic fish kept in packets of water were also recovered. The Customs officials have booked a case for violation of Section 11 of Customs Act that prohibits import or export of live animals. Jamal has also been accused of violating the Wild Life Protection Act by carrying animals without valid documents.

The Customs and the State Forest Department will jointly investigate the case. The Customs officials have sent the exotic fish to the Government Aquarium near the Cubbon Park. The Forest Department have rehabilitated the green turtles at the Bannerghatta Biological Park.

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