Chennai Customs foil massive turtle smuggling bid

Customs officials at Chennai International Airport successfully intercepted a major smuggling attempt, seizing nearly 3,000 hatchlings of red-eared slider turtles from a Malaysian national arriving from Kuala Lumpur on November 28.
The invasive species, hidden in checked baggage detected via scanning for unusual movement, faces a transport ban in India under wildlife protection laws.
The passenger was arrested, and the turtles, popular in the illegal pet trade across Chennai and other states, were seized under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Customs Act before deportation to Malaysia.
In separate incidents on the same day, two Indian passengers arriving from Bangkok—one via a Kuala Lumpur transit—were nabbed with significant quantities of hydroponic weed.
Authorities recovered 3.42 kg valued at Rs 1.5 crore from one flyer and 650 grams from the other, leading to arrests and judicial remand for both.
These operations highlight intensified vigilance at the airport amid rising smuggling threats from Southeast Asian routes.
The red-eared slider turtles pose ecological risks as a highly invasive species, threatening local biodiversity if introduced.
Chennai airport’s proactive intelligence-driven checks continue to disrupt illicit wildlife and narcotics trades effectively.