Mumbai: Man arrested for smuggling rare Indian Star Tortoises

The Mumbai Police on December 13 confirmed the arrest of a person attempting to smuggle rare tortoises of Star Back species.

The accused was apprehended near Borivali Link Road, and cops recovered 20 Star Back turtles from his possession. The rare species tortoises are worth approximately Rs 3.5 lakhs.

The accused was identified as Nadeem Shaik.

Police have registered a case in the relevant sections, and further details in the matter are awaited.

Indian star tortoises are in high demand in international markets because of their beautiful star-patterned shells. Several smuggling incidents have come to light recently because of the growing demand for these rare species toitoises in the international markets.

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