557 turtles seized at Dhaka airport

By Star Online Report
12 July 2015, 07:11 AM
UPDATED 12 July 2015, 15:02 PM
Customs officials seized nearly 1,000 turtles at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka today.

Customs officials seized 557 turtles at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka today.

The turtles were found in five luggage at Gate No. 3 around 11:00am, SM Sohel Rahman, joint commissioner of customs at the airport, told The Daily Star.

The people, who were carrying the luggage, fled the scene after being challenged by the customs officials, the customs official said.

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Customs officials seize 557 turtles at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday. Photo courtesy: Forest department
The Indian Pond Turtles were being smuggled to Vietnam, according to a team of forest department, which rushed to the airport soon after the recovery.