Emigration officials at Trivandrum International Airport (TIA) on Monday intercepted an air passenger hailing from Tamil Nadu trying to smuggle 450 star back tortoises - estimated to fetch $500 in the illegal market - into Bangkok via Malaysia and Colombo.
The carrier, Abdul Rahman, from Ramanathapuram, managed to pass undetected with the tortoises as they were hidden in his check-in baggage bound for Sri Lankan Airways, but was caught as he fumbled about his final destination while going through emigration check.
"The man had a visa for Malaysia but insisted that he was travelling to Bangkok which set off alarm bells as Bangkok has visa on entry. The immigration official took him aside and flagged him down to the customs officials. At the customs holding area the man seemed jittery. He had nothing on his person but something didn't quite add up. When we asked the airline to bring his bag, which was already on its way to the airplane, we noticed that the entire bag was full of star back tortoise hatchlings," said a customs official.
29/04/14 Times of India
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The carrier, Abdul Rahman, from Ramanathapuram, managed to pass undetected with the tortoises as they were hidden in his check-in baggage bound for Sri Lankan Airways, but was caught as he fumbled about his final destination while going through emigration check.
"The man had a visa for Malaysia but insisted that he was travelling to Bangkok which set off alarm bells as Bangkok has visa on entry. The immigration official took him aside and flagged him down to the customs officials. At the customs holding area the man seemed jittery. He had nothing on his person but something didn't quite add up. When we asked the airline to bring his bag, which was already on its way to the airplane, we noticed that the entire bag was full of star back tortoise hatchlings," said a customs official.
29/04/14 Times of India
