NEWIND PRESS (Chennai, India) 10 March 08 Exotic turtles seized at HAL Airport

Bangalore: Just a few days prior to the closure of HAL Airport, the Intelligence Wing of Bangalore Customs, seized a large number of turtles and fish, which were being imported to the City on Sunday.

The team along with the State forest department seized 1,000 red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scriptaelagans) from a passenger from Singapore. Though they are exotic creatures, they are not listed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Speaking to media here, Assistant Commissioner, Customs Preventive, M M Ravi Rajendran said: “The passenger was on the Indian Airlines flight 1C-958 Singapore to Bangalore.

“The flight landed at 9.45 am. We intercepted the passenger passing through the green channel. The three check-in baggages while passing through the scanner displayed a black colour.

We got suspicious and opened his baggage and found four packets with 250 turtles in each. They are a week to 15 days old. This is the first time the department has seized live imported turtles.”

The team also seized 553 ornamental fish from the accused. The estimated value of the green turtles is Rs 5 lakh and the ornamental fish is Rs 2.25 lakh.

“Interrogation revealed that the turtles were purchased at a dollar (US) each. Since the accused was a frequent flyer from Singapore, he possessed immigration and possession papers which are being examined.

Two cases under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Customs Act 1962 Section 11, has been booked. The fish were immediately handed over to the fisheries department, while the turtles were handed over to the Forest Department,” he added.

The turtles are semi-aquatic and found in the United States of America, Canada, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. They are known to survive under extreme conditions.

Speaking to this website’s newspaper, biodiversity expert Harish R Bhat said that these expensive turtles were either consumed for meat delicacies especially in Asian countries, or were housed as pets.

This is the first time the customs and the state forest department have seized live turtles which were being imported to the City from Singapore, said Bangalore Urban Forest Division ACF B Jairam.

A year-and-a-half ago, the forest department seized a large number of star tortoises, which were being transported from Yeshwantpur Railway station.
Exotic turtles seized at HAL Airport

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