KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian authorities have rescued hundreds of smuggled tortoises meant for sale in Southeast Asia, disrupting an international crime ring called the ‘Ninja Turtle Gang’, a wildlife official said yesterday.
Wildlife and national parks department director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said 400 tortoises worth MYR3.8 million (USD805,084) bound for the lucrative exotic pet trade were seized during an operation by the police and wildlife officials last Saturday.
Across Asia, many believe that tortoises bring good luck and prosperity.
“This is the biggest ever seizure in the past 10 years,” Abdul Kadir told AFP, adding that the reptiles were to be sold on to Thailand and Indonesia after local demand was met.
He said the tortoises were believed to have been smuggled from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
The joint operation, codenamed ‘United National Resource’, crippled the tortoise smuggling ring known as the ‘Ninja Turtle Gang’, he said.
The operation involved a car chase in which the driver of a vehicle thought to be used in the smuggling was arrested.
