73 Tortoises recovered and 3 held in connection

Rare tortoises seized at airport-Courtesy The Daily Star

A mixture of 73 rare and normal tortoises was recovered in a joint drive operated by Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Customs authority, Airport Armed Police and Civil Aviation security personnel. Three person also had been detained in suspicion to be involved in the smuggling case.

On November 5, a passenger tried to enter the departure terminal through gate number 3 where his baggage was screened through scanner. While scanning, officials of Custom authority and the scanning operator of CAAB found something suspicious on the screen. Then the custom official asked him to open the bag to see what was that inside. At this point, the passenger told him that he had no key of the baggage to him and he would have to go outside to get the key. Then he hurriedly moved to the outside of the gate. Seeing this condition, a female member of Airport Armed Police challanged the passenger but he just ran and availed himself to a standing car by the side of the gate. The car then moved very fast. In the meantime police was informed and the car was stopped at the last end of the departure terminal. Seeing police advancing, the passenger just jumped off the stopping car and quickly made his way for escape. Police held other three passenger of the car. 

Then the tortoises were counted in presence of the Police, an officer from Wildlife Preservation authority and other intelligence authority. 73 tortoises of 4 different species were found in four bags inside the black baggage the escaped passenger left. 

Later, a case was filed in the local police station in this regard.

Update: Later in interrogation by Detective Branch police, arrested Sohag and Mohsin confessed that they supplied the tortoises to the passenger who fled the spot just after stopping the car.