Man caught smuggling tortoises at Trichy airport

Trichy: As many as 300 Indian star tortoises were confiscated by the Trichy Customs when a Chennai-based man, Mohammad Rafiyudin, tried to check-in on an Air Lanka (UL132) flight bound for Colombo on Thursday. Rafiyudin had come to the airport as early as 6.45 am to board the flight, scheduled to take off at 9.45 am. This is the first time star tortoises were captured at the Trichy airport. The live creatures command a premium price in the international market and had been packed in six different cartons of 50 each.
An air intelligence officer said a coterie tried to transport the creatures through Chennai airport first, but as the security was considered impenetrable, they changed their mind. The tortoises were couriered to Trichy by road, and then the carrier, Rafiyudin, tried to reach his final destination of Kuala Lumpur via Colombo.
29/06/12 Dennis Selvan/Times of India

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Categories: airports Jun 2012, Foreign Jun 2012