Chennai

The Air Cargo Customs department at the airport here foiled a bid to smuggle over 1,000 live star-tortoises to Malaysia, a top official said on Wednesday.

Acting on specific inputs that an export consignment with wildlife was destined for the Southeast Asian country, the officers examined the cargo which were declared as 230 kg of live crab in 13 packages.

On examination of the cargo, it was found that seven out of the 13 packages contained 1,364 live Indian star-tortoises. Such tortoises are listed as an endangered species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species appendix-I (CITES), a press release from the Commissioner of Customs, Air Cargo Comissionerate, said.

The star-tortoises are covered under the relevant sections of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

They were handed over to the Forest Department for rehabilitation, he added.

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