Customs seize around 5,000 red-eared slider turtles at Chennai airport; smugglers held

CHENNAI: The Customs officials at Chennai International Airport seized around 5,000 red-eared slider turtles smuggled from Malaysia by two smugglers.

The turtles were airlifted back to Malaysia to prevent the potential spread of foreign pathogens in India.

Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur arrived at Chennai International Airport on Monday midnight.

Most of the passengers were cleared by customs, but two male passengers were suspected due to the large plastic baskets they were carrying.

When questioned, they provided conflicting answers about the contents, claiming they held chocolates, biscuits, and toys.

However, customs officials discovered a significant number of live red-eared slider turtles inside the baskets and arrested the two.

The officials notified the Union Wildlife Protection Crime Branch in Besant Nagar for further investigation, reports added.

Following, officers of the Union Wildlife Conservation Crime Branch arrived and examined the red-eared slider turtles.

Among them, 12 were found dead and 19 belonged to the Albino red-eared slider turtle category. The authorities investigated the two smugglers and found that they arrived in India without any documentation from Malaysia.

As these turtles can carry diseases that threaten local wildlife and human health, potentially degrading water quality, the customs officials decided to send back the 4,986 live turtles to Malaysia, while 12 deceased turtles were cremated following safety protocols.

Customs officials have also arrested two smugglers and action will be taken as per the provisions of the Customs Act.