Wildlife Trafficking Foiled: Chennai Airport Arrests Smugglers

In a significant interception, Chennai airport authorities have arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok for attempting to smuggle a large quantity of animals. Among the confiscated creatures were 484 red-eared slider turtles and nine African spurred tortoises concealed in the passenger’s check-in baggage.

Shockingly, the recipient of these animals was revealed to be a Tamil Nadu Police havaldar, S. Ravikumar, sparking further scrutiny into potential complicity. Both individuals have been arrested and are currently in judicial custody, as investigations continue to uncover the full extent of the smuggling operation.