E-Paper
Chennai man held at Kolkata airport with 707 Red-eared Slider turtles
Customs officials at Kolkata airport seized 707 Red-eared Slider turtles from a Chennai passenger arriving from Bangkok and arrested him under wildlife laws.
A Chennai man was arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs Department on Wednesday after at least 707 Red-eared Slider turtles were seized from him at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata, officials said.
Native to the central and south-eastern United States and northern Mexico, Red-eared Slider turtles are frequently traded as pets. They are considered among the world’s worst invasive species and can upset local biodiversity.
“A passenger was held with 707 Red-eared Slider turtles at the NSCBI airport in Kolkata after he landed on a flight from Bangkok. He was arrested under the Customs Act, Wildlife Protection Act and CITES. Investigation is going on,” said a senior Customs official.
Officials said the passenger, a resident of Chennai, was intercepted after he crossed the green channel at the airport. He was held following spot profiling.
“He was intercepted on the basis of spot profiling, which is done with the help of data analytics. He was carrying oversized baggage. After he was intercepted upon arrival at NSCBI, the check-in baggage was passed through the X-ray machine, which revealed that there were live turtles,” said the official.
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are animals and plants introduced into places outside their natural range, negatively impacting native biodiversity, ecosystem services, or human well-being. They are among the biggest threats to biodiversity and also pose a global threat to food security.
