The tortoise recovered from six bags near Triplicane on Saturday. (Photo | EPS)
CHENNAI: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an inter-State gang involved in smuggling of Star Tortoises, an endangered species under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), after arresting two persons from Triplicane here.
Acting on a tip-off, sleuths intercepted the two and seized 584 Indian Star Tortoises kept in six bags.
“The bags were in tightly packed condition and were brought from South Andhra Pradesh to Chennai for further illegal transportation out of India through southern coast of Tamil Nadu,” DRI sources said.
The duo were part of the gang operating in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This also comes after the agency in the first week of September seized 44 Assam Roofed turtles, another endangered species under CITES, which were about to be illegally exported out of the country.
