Guest guest Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 Thursday July 13, 2006-The Star Attempt to smuggle Star tortoises to M'sia foiled *PETALING JAYA*: India's enforcement officers foiled an attempt by an Indian national to smuggle endangered tortoises into Malaysia. Customs and Central Excise Department officers arrested the man from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday for allegedly trying to smuggle out 723 Indian Star tortoises from Kochi airport in Kerala. Last month, the department arrested a man at Anna International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 540 tortoises to Kuala Lumpur. Star tortoises, listed in Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), are in danger of becoming extinct. The ornate yellow star-like pattern on the tortoise's dark shell and its small size makes it a popular pet. They are protected in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and their export is banned. Chris Shepard, programme officer of Traffic (a wildlife trade-monitoring network), said there had been a few cases of Indian nationals attempting to smuggle out the endangered species for sale to dealers in Malaysia since early this year. " It is a serious problem as Malaysia is being used as a main trade hub for illegal trade of Star tortoises, " he told *The Star *yesterday. He said although Star tortoises were not allowed to be brought into the country for commercial purposes, Malaysian laws did not prohibit their sale. Therefore, he said, the Customs needed to be vigilant in monitoring the smugglers' activities. A check on a few pet stores in several shopping complexes showed that business in the Star tortoise was brisk. Some pet shops are selling the tortoises for RM80 to RM150. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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