The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has issued a warning to several enforcement agencies, including Customs, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the Government Railway Police (GRP), and the forest department, following a recent surge in the smuggling of star tortoises and other turtle species from Tamil Nadu to Malaysia. In the past month alone, authorities have intercepted nearly 2,000 of these reptiles across five separate incidents.
Three of these smuggling attempts were thwarted by Customs officials at Chennai International Airport. The remaining two cases involved the rescue of reptiles from a residence in Kolathur, Chennai, and from a bus stop in Pudukkottai.
In July, Malaysian authorities arrested six members of the ‘Ninja Turtle Gang’—comprising four Malaysians and two Cambodians—and confiscated 200 turtles and tortoises from a house in Kuala Lumpur. This gang operates internationally, trafficking reptiles from countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to cater to the lucrative pet markets in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Thailand.
Sources suggest that the rise in smuggling of Indian tortoises is driven by high demand in Southeast Asia. Additionally, the southwest monsoon season (June-September), which coincides with the breeding period for these reptiles, has contributed to the increase in smuggling activities.
Under Indian and international wildlife protection laws, species such as the Indian star tortoise, Tricarinate hill turtle, Brahminy river turtle, and black pond terrapin are classified as protected. Despite this, they remain highly sought after in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries for both the pet trade and consumption.
The smuggling network reportedly involves local villagers who capture these reptiles from their natural habitats in the scrub jungles of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The captured animals are then transported by intermediaries via trains or buses to major cities such as Chennai, Tiruchy, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Cochin, where they are transferred to another group. This group stores the reptiles in locations like the Kolathur house raided on August 11.
The reptiles are subsequently concealed in suitcases, hidden under layers of chocolate wrappers, clothes, and adult diapers, and flown to Malaysia. The WCCB has urged Customs officials to intensify surveillance at airports during the southwest monsoon season, a period when the likelihood of smuggling activities is heightened due to increased breeding.
Moreover, the RPF, GRP, and Tamil Nadu forest officials have been alerted to monitor train and bus routes, as these are commonly used to transport the reptiles from rural areas to cities. On July 16, Tamil Nadu police discovered an abandoned bag containing 97 star tortoises near the Pudukotai bus stand, intended for trafficking through Tiruchy airport.