NEW DELHI - A man trying to smuggle 160 star tortoises to Malaysia was held at India's Chennai International Airport.
Security staff handed over the passenger and tortoises, which were kept in cardboard boxes, to the Customs Department, local media reported on Monday.
The man, travelling to Malaysia on a tourist visa, reportedly bought the tortoises for 100 rupees (about RM5.50) each from a breeder in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and planned to sell them at more than 50 times profit.
Star tortoises, found in some parts of southern India, are protected species under India's Wildlife Protection Act.
In some Southeast Asian countries, they are used as pets.
In 2022, Chennai Airport officials foiled an attempt to smuggle 1,364 live star tortoises to Malaysia. - BERNAMA