Bengaluru customs nab T.N. man carrying 2547 red-eared slider turtles from Singapore

The Customs department officials at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru caught a 26-year-old man carrying 2547 red-eared slider turtles in his passenger check-in bag on Saturday. The passenger identified as Adiakkalasamy Vadivel, a native of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, was caught as soon as he landed from Singapore.

According to officials, 517 out of 2547 turtles were found dead, due to suffocation. The accused is a mule working for an international wild animal smuggling racket. The officials are looking into how Vadivel hoodwinked Singapore Customs officials to smuggle wildlife in his backpack. He told the officials that he was asked to handover the bag to a person waiting outside KIA.

The import of these live animals is a violation of Export-Import (EXIM) Policy and punishable under the Customs Act, 1962, the officials said.

The sleuths have initiated the process to deport the rescued animals to Singapore, after obtaining a deportation certificate from the Animal Quarantine Department, while dead animals will be disposed of as per the standard procedures.