Mumbai: Nearly 100 turtles were seized at Mumbai airport by the air intelligence unit (AIU) late on Saturday night from a flyer's check-in bag. The flyer, Mohammed Arif (22), who was trying to smuggle the turtles into Bangkok, was detained. Around 11.20pm, Arif boarded a Thai Airways flight (TG-318) that was headed for Bangkok. The accused was carrying a hand luggage and a bag that he had checked-in with the airline.
While the bag was being screened, a Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd security official spotted an object that resembled a turtle. When the officer opened the bag, he found 97 turtles of different sizes. According to AIU officials, the turtles were wrapped in cloth and stuffed into a bag. The value of these turtles on the black market is estimated to be around Rs 50 lakh. Later, Arif was asked to get off the plane.
11/03/13 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India
