Rare turtles seized in Shahjalal Airport

Airport Armed Police Battalion seizes 73 rare species of turtles from a luggage at Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on Monday. Photo: SK Enam

Security personnel and customs officials at Shahjalal International Airport on Monday seized 73 rare species turtles while those were being smuggled out through the airport.

The officials also arrested three persons suspecting their link to the smuggling. They are Mohammad Yeasin, Mohammad Sabuj and Mohammad Sohagh.

The reptiles were being smuggled to either Thailand or Singapore, an official of Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn).

“Those reptiles include – Shila Turtle, Star Turtle and Kali Turtle and those are on the verge of extinction,” Divisional Forest Officer Md Shahabuddin who inspected the turtles at the airport told The Daily Star last night.

 Security personnel of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and customs officials first noticed some suspicious objects in one of the luggage while scanning those at Gate No. 3 at the airport around 11:00am.

 As the officials asked owner of the luggage to open it, he said he left the key outside and went out hurriedly. As members of APBn chased him he first got into a microbus. Law enforcers then managed to halt the vehicle after a little while, but the man got down and fled away.

 The APBn members later arrested the three who were boarding the microbus although the arrestees denied having any link to the smuggling.

 However, the luggage was later opened and the turtles were found strapped in four cloth made sacks.

Earlier on August 6, APBn members seized 108 Shila Turtles at the airport while being smuggled to Thailand.

Source: The Daily Star