Four held for smuggling star tortoise in Kodagu

Conducting an operation near RMC yard, Gonikoppa, the forest department personnel seized a star tortoise being illegally transported in a car from Bengaluru to Gonikoppa.

Four persons have been arrested in this matter.

T Lakshman from Manchala village in Kurnool district and R Lakhshminarayana from Mandalam in Andhra Pradesh, Telugara E Thimmappa from Sidhanur village near Mehboob Nagar, Telangana, and S Nagesh from Bommanahalli, Bengaluru, are the accused.

The star tortoise, an endangered creature, was being illegally transported from Andhra Pradesh to Southern Kodagu.

The car and the star tortoise have been seized.

The accused were produced before the Ponnampet Civil Court and have been remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.

Madikeri CID police forest unit Superintendent Suresh Babu led the raid operation.