Over 200 Endangered Tortoises Labelled As “Seafood” Seized In Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan star tortoises are the identical species as that present in India. (Representational)

Colombo:

Sri Lankan customs officers have seized 206 stay star tortoises, that are listed as an endangered species, that have been being smuggled to Malaysia in packing containers labelled as “dried seafood”, the biggest such seize since 2015.

The Biodiversity, Cultural and Nationwide Heritage Safety Division of Sri Lanka customs seized the stay tortoises on the Air Cargo Exports Terminal of Colombo worldwide airport on Saturday, a customs launch mentioned.

The stay tortoises, stuffed inside fabric sacks and packed in six packing containers labelled as “dried seafood”, have been being smuggled out to Kuala Lumpur, it mentioned.

In accordance with the officers, it was the biggest seizure since mid-2015 when a bid to smuggle 124 tortoises was foiled.

Sri Lankan star tortoises are the identical species (Geochelone elegans) as that present in India and Pakistan however have a particular geographic id, the customs officers mentioned.

“It is without doubt one of the most lovely tortoise species discovered on the earth and because of the similar cause they’ve been extremely wanted within the unlawful pet commerce, particularly within the South East Asian international locations,” they mentioned.

“Consequently, the species has turn into threatened with extinction and included within the Worldwide Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Crimson Checklist of species and in addition in Appendix I of the Conference of Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” the officers added.

They mentioned that the based on Fauna and Flora Safety Ordinance (part 40), try to export any mammal, fowl, reptile, amphibian, fish, coral or invertebrate, eggs, amongst others with out the permission of the Director Common of the Wildlife Conservation Division is an offence and in addition concurrently violates the Customs Ordinance. 

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