DRI seizes over 500 endangered Indian star tortoises

All the 523 seized tortoises were allegedly bound for sale to pet traders in the city.

Over 500 endangered Indian star tortoises have been seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from a woman passenger at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) here, the agency said Thursday.

All the 523 seized tortoises were allegedly bound for sale to pet traders in the city.

The accused, who was traveling from Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh to the Kurla Terminus, was apprehended in a joint operation by the city units in association with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the state forest department, the DRI said in a statement.

As endangered species, the Indian star tortoises are trafficked and smuggled as a part of the exotic pet trade and are highly priced, both in local and international markets.

They have been transferred to the forest department for further investigation, the statement said.