3,350 turtles, exotic animals seized at Kempegowda International Airport

Bengaluru: About 3,350 red-eared slider turtles, 22 baby blue iguanas, and two African spurred tortoises were seized at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) over the weekend.

Two suspects, Balasubramanian Shanmugam and Vijayaraghavan Dhanapal, travelled to India from Thailand on Thai Airways (TG 325) on Saturday at 11.17 am, while the third suspect, Arunkumar Narayanaswamy, arrived on the same flight on Sunday.

As all three passengers did not possess the required official documents to travel with exotic animals, the animals were seized and deported to their respective countries of origin — Malaysia and Thailand — on Sunday. The suspects were detained for interrogation, sources said.

"Over the past couple of months, instances of wildlife smuggling have alarmingly increased at the Bengaluru airport, while they have reduced at the Chennai airport. It is mostly baby animals that are being smuggled. Mild sedatives are being used on these exotic animals to ensure smooth travel," an official at the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau told DH.

Red-eared slider turtles have quickly become one of the most commonly smuggled species, coming in from Malaysia to India. Last week, a consignment of 3,000 turtles was seized at KIA.

However, they are not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, lists the species as a Schedule IV animal, which means it is illegal to keep, trade, or transport it without a permit.