The Forest Department officials of Krishna District caught smuggling of 5000 tortoises today in the early hours.   The tortoises packed in gunny bags were seized by the Divisional Forest Office (Wild life) in the raid in Kalidindi Mandal conducted on the information received about the illegal activity.  

The smugglers were taking the 70 gunny bags in which 5000 tortoises were packed.  They were exporting them illegally to Odisha.  

The DFO said that the smugglers fled from the place leaving the bags on seeing the officers in the raid approaching them.    But, DFO says that an investigation is on to know the persons behind the operation and from which place which place exactly the smuggling is being carried out.  

They also are trying to know how long it has been going on and what more is in store as per their plan.  As per the wild life protection laws concerned, exporting or importing of tortoises is illegal.  It applies to International laws too.  On the International smuggling operation the turtles are smuggled for the purpose of selling them as pets for a higher rate.  As the turtles are not smuggled for consumption they are always found live.  

In India a tortoise is believed that its presence brings luck.  Although a tortoise is a long living species, the very life of it is in danger because of the superstitions and because of its high price when sold as a pet.  

(AW-SriJa)