India: Over 2,400 live turtles seized at Trichy Airport

2,447 live turtles were seized by officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Trichy Airport on Sunday. The turtles were found in the checked-in luggage of the passenger arriving from Kuala Lumpur, according to a statement from Trichy Customs.

Earlier, the Customs Department and the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) thwarted an attempt to smuggle two different species of turtles and arrested multiple individuals involved, Chennai Customs officials said.

According to Chennai customs, the AIU seized 4,967 red-eared slider turtles and 19 albino red-eared slider turtles from two passengers who were arriving from Kuala Lumpur in the month of October.

The endangered wildlife were attempted to be smuggled into India in contravention of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).