MUMBAI: Two men were arrested after they were caught with a creep of 300 star tortoises meant to be smuggled abroad. The star tortoises, also known as button tortoises, had been bundled in a very "claustrophobic" manner- some were stuffed into two tiny boxes and some in haversacks with hardly any ventilation. Also, the containers in which they were kept were extremely "unhygienic", said officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

While two men from Andhra Pradesh-identified only as Kondaiah and Srikant-were arrested from Vashi in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, a third who was to collect the tortoises from them slipped away.

The agency officials said they had received a tip-off that some people were transporting star tortoises from Andhra Pradesh to Navi Mumbai. "We had information that they were travelling by the Maharashtra state-run Shivneri bus which was to take the Pune route.

"The gang of three was to hand over these tortoises to their contact in Navi Mumbai," said an official of the agency. The official refused to identify the person as this person too is absconding and a manhunt has been launched to nab him. "This man fled as we swooped down on the two," said the official.

The agency officials alerted state wildlife officials and handed over the tortoises and the two accused to them.

The tortoises are classified as 'endangered' under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 .

A star tortoise is an expensive reptile in the international pet market in several Asian countries including Malaysia , Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Besides, they are also in great demand in Europe and North America.

The two accused were produced in a court in Thane which has remanded them in judicial custody.

