Based on intelligence, one male passenger named Shri Mohamed Mubee, resident of Pattukottai arrived from Bangkok by Flight no. FD153 on 12.04.2024 was intercepted by the Custom Officers. On examination of check-in luggage, the following wildlife species were found:

 

Sl. No.	Name	Scientific Name	Qty	CITES status/Wild Life Protection Act Status
1	Red Eared Slider Turtle	Trachemys scripta	484	-
2	African Spurred Tortoise	Centrochely sulcata	9	Appendix II/Schedule-IV

Further, the receiver of the smuggled Wildlife Species Shri. S.Ravikumar who is posted as Havaldar in TSP VI, Battalion, Maduraiin Tamil Nadu Police has also been apprehended. The receiver is a habitual offender who had been arrested for illegal possession, transportation and trading of Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans) in February 2022 by Andhra Police Special Enforcement Bureau.

As the animals were imported in contravention of the Customs Act, 1962 read with Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the passenger and the receiver were arrested and remanded to Judicial Custody.

       Further investigation is under progress.

  

 

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