India: The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) sleuths have arrested two women for smuggling a whopping 406 Indian star tortoises, a vulnerable species declared endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nation (IUCN) at Vijayawada railway station on Tuesday.

The DRI sleuths, on acquiring specific intelligence, traced the women travelling in Vivek Express (train no. 15906) at Vijayawada.

They have searched the belongings of the two women and found tortoises concealed under the cloths in four bags. The tortoises were of different sizes and were wrapped in the cloths.

 To ascertain the exact nature of the tortoises, the DRI sleuths sought the services of forest department. On inspecting the reptiles, the forest officials confirmed that they were Indian star tortoises which are scientifically known as ‘Geochelone elegans’. The forest officials further stated that the Indian star tortoises were declared ‘vulnerable’ by IUCN.

The two lady passengers admitted that the 406 Indian star tortoises found in their possession were collected by a person from Kadiri in Ananthapur district and they were asked to take them to Bhubaneswar and hand them over to some person for export out of India to Bangladesh. However, anticipating the arrest by police they have changed their course of journey and returned to Kadiri along with the tortoises.

 The Indian star tortoises are protected under ‘CITES’ (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). They are the most traded and most expensive reptile pets in the market. They are found in the scrub jungles across southern peninsula. The Indian star tortoise is famed for the star like radiating patterns on its shell. It is this same pattern that makes them popular for the collectors around the world.

The DRI sleuths have seized tortoises under Customs Act, 1962. The reptiles were handed over to forest range officer, Vijayawada for safe custody and further action. Two persons involved in the illegal transport of Indian tortoises for export to Bangladesh have been apprehended. Further investigation is in progress stated a release from DRI.

(Source: The Times of India)