An Indian national was arrested at Kuala Lumpur’s main airport for trying to smuggle more than 2,500 live turtles, Malaysia’s border agency said on Thursday, in another case highlighting criminals using the country’s main international gateway as a transit point for illegal wildlife trade.
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The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has made headlines in recent months due to incidents of individuals smuggling endangered primates and rare reptiles, including tortoises and iguanas.
The suspect was scheduled to board a plane at the airport to Bengaluru, India, at 10.05pm on Tuesday when he was caught by security before boarding, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said.
“Further inspection found thousands of red-eared slider turtles hidden in the luggage,” said AKPS, adding the haul was worth around US$82,000.
Native to North America, the red-eared slider is classified as an invasive species in many countries, including India, where it poses a major threat to native aquatic biodiversity.
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The incident marked a rare wildlife smuggling case that was foiled at KLIA before a flight departure, in contrast with previous cases, which were only discovered after the smugglers had left the airport and reached their destinations.
UK-based wildlife trade watchdog Traffic previously reported that the rampant wildlife trafficking through KLIA was driven by demand for exotic species as pets.