Continuing investigations into an attempt to smuggle star tortoises, officials of the CID forest cell, with the help of wildlife activists, raided three more places, including two pet shops and a house in Koramangala belonging to a businessman, and rescued nine more tortoises from them.
The racket came to light in May this year when an alert conductor of a private bus at Anand Rao Circle averted a smuggling attempt of 218 endangered star tortoises when he observed movement in a passenger’s bags.
The passenger tried boarding a private bus at Anand Rao Circle to go to Chennai, but he abandoned the luggage and fled the scene after the conductor questioned him about the movement inside the bags.
The rescued tortoises were sent to the People for Animals (PFA) rescue centre. Following the leads, the officials on Wednesday raided two pet shops situated in Vidyaranyapura and Nagarabhavi, from where the star tortoises were sourced. Based on their information, the police raided a house in Koramangala and rescued three more tortoises, which were bought and kept as pets in the pond.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Protection of Wildlife Act for further investigations.
