58 tortoises in a bag: Indian national jailed for illegal import into Singapore

Singapore: An Indian national was sentenced to a year and four months’ jail for unlawfully importing 58 Indian star tortoises into Singapore in August, a media report said on Tuesday.

The tortoises were concealed -- sealed and not ventilated -- in Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali's personal luggage when he arrived at Changi Airport on August 29 from India to take another flight to Jakarta, The Straits Times said.

Ali, 40, pleaded guilty on Monday of unlawfully bringing into Singapore the Indian star tortoises, categorised as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Earlier, Ali was handed a charge under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act and also under the Animals and Birds Act for allegedly failing to take reasonable steps in ensuring that the tortoises did not suffer unnecessarily.

One of the tortoises was dead while 22 others were later assessed to be “thin”, according to the report.

Ali had received those tortoises from his friend identified as 'Bhai' in court documents, who helped with all the logistical arrangements for the trip, including paying for his flight and arranging his accommodation. In return, Bhai asked Ali’s help to transport a piece of packed luggage to Jakarta.

Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks) prosecutor Lim Chong Hui said Ali did not ask about the contents of the package nor did he check it anytime after Bhai handed it over on August 28 in Chennai.

“At all material times, the accused had ample opportunity to check and verify the contents of the luggage himself in the presence of Bhai,” Lim said.