Tortoise Trafficking Trifecta: India – Singapore – Indonesia
Indian Star Tortoises Geochelone elegans continue to be one of the most heavily trafficked tortoise species in the exotic pet trade, mainly to Southeast Asia.
Authorities in India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia continue to intercept smuggling attempts. These cases are likely to be a tip of the iceberg situation, with more shipments slipping past border controls undetected (perhaps intentionally with the aid of corrupt individuals), as evidenced by the tortoises that are observed for sale in these countries, especially on social media platforms.
In late August 2024, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at Singapore’s Changi Airport nabbed a man arriving from India’s Chennai International with 58 Indian Star Tortoises en route to Jakarta, Indonesia. According to the National Parks Board, 40-year-old Indian national Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali was charged under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act and sentenced to 16 months’ jail on 11 December 2024.
Singapore’s National Parks Board and airport authorities are commended for disrupting this trafficking attempt and successfully prosecuting the trafficker.
Trafficking of live animals to supply demand for exotic pets through major airports appears to be on the rise, with seizures frequently being highlighted in the media, and an ever-growing array of illegally sourced exotic animals available from dealers.
“It is alarming that large, illegal shipments of wildlife continue to move through airports undetected or unhindered,” said Dr. Chris R. Shepherd, Executive Director of Monitor Conservation Research Society. “In many cases, the same airports are used time and time again, begging the question, why is this happening?”
A deeper look needs to be taken at the elements that continue to facilitate these illegal shipments at these airports.
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