Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs Air Intelligence Unit seized 492 live spotted black terrapins from five passengers at the Tiruchi International Airport late on Monday night.
The contraband was being smuggled to Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur when the officers held the five “carriers” at the airport before they boarded the flight.
The live fresh water terrapins of different sizes and weight were concealed in various pieces of cloth and kept in five stroller bags that were carried by the accused – U. Ahamed Kabeer (46), H. Ahamed Badhusha Marica (40), S. Mohamed Saleem (28) T. Syed Ahamed (58), and M. Mohamed Iqbal (42). The seized reptiles along with the accused, hailing from Sivaganga, Madurai, Pudukottai, and Ramanathapuram districts, were later handed over to the Forest Department.
Sources said acting on specific information, the DRI and AIU officers intercepted the five passengers before they boarded the Malindo Air flight bound for Kuala Lumpur in the late hours on Monday.
On examination of their check-in luggage, the officers found 492 live spotted black terrapins inside the stroller bags.
The contraband was immediately confiscated and the five passengers were detained for questioning at the airport. Their cell phones and passports were seized.
The sources said the five reportedly confessed that the contraband was smuggled to Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur and they had received the consignments in Tiruchi. They confessed that they were doing the job for a monetary consideration of Rs. 10,000 each.
Forest Department officials said the five were only “carriers” of the contraband and a detailed inquiry had been launched to track those who had supplied them the live reptiles for smuggling. Some of the seized terrapins weighed three to 4 kg each and their trade was banned.
A case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has been registered against the five accused who were later remanded in judicial custody.
This is the first time that a huge haul of terrapins had been seized at the Tiruchi airport, the department sources said.
The terrapins were smuggled to the South East Asian destination for medicinal use or for being used as food stuff or as keeping them as pets in households, officials said.
The seized terrapins would be released in the fresh water in the Pachamalai hills in the district, District Forest Officer N. Satheesh said.
