Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) are declared “threatened” by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and feature on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) personnel seized 500 endangered Indian star tortoises from a passenger on a train at Vijayawada railway station.

Acting on a specific intelligence DRI had launched an operation and intercepted a passenger travelling from Vijayawada to Ahmedabad in an AC coach of the Navjeevan Express and recovered the species.

A total of 500 Indian star tortoises were found to be concealed in his bag.

Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) are declared threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and feature on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

A total of 500 Indian star tortoises were found to be concealed in his bag.

Indian star tortoises are also protected under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and are listed in Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and are prohibited from being exported.

On questioning the arrested passenger said the star tortoises were collected by a person from Kadiri of Anantapur and was to be transported to Ahmedabad and then exported to different countries.

The seized Indian star tortoises were later handed over to forest officials in Vijayawada for safe custody and necessary action while the train passenger involved in the smuggling of was arrested under Customs Act, 1962.

Helping the DRI sleuths in the raid were Railway Protection Force personnel, the train ticket examiner and forest department officials of Andhra Pradesh.