BANGKOK: Thai Customs officials at Suvarnabhumi airport have rescued 225 live spotted pond turtles from four unclaimed luggage bags.
Senior customs official at the airport informed that the baggage was left unattended next to arrival hall. On enquiry from the officials no one claimed the ownership of the bags. The suspicious bags were then X-rayed. It was then revealed that they were smuggled in.
“Normally, importers of such animals must seek and receive clearance from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation,” the official said. The turtles were handed over to the airport’s wildlife quarantine station.
It is not the first time turtles have been found at the airport. Last year, 423 Geocheleon radiata turtles and 52 spotted pond turtles were nabbed at the airport. In another case, a Pakistani air passenger was arrested for carrying in 470 spotted pond turtles. Then again a Madagascan was caught illegally sneaking 60 radiated tortoises into the country. Many Thais buy turtles as rare pets or for good luck, as turtles and tortoises are widely associated with long life.
A big spotted pond specimen can fetch up to a thousand dollar. Veterinarians said a long flight could exhaust the turtles, which are sometimes wrapped in plastic to prevent them from moving and attracting attention from authorities. Some of them may even succumb to failed health during transit or soon after.
