Police, forest dept bust star tortoise trafficking racket, rescue 10 animals

The arrested persons have been identified as Mukesh Dileep Soni, who handled the Instagram account, Shubham Sunil Notwani, who had earlier been caught for trafficking protected animal species, Yashwantsinh Rajendrasinh Chauhan who worked as a link between clients and the sellers, and Sanket Mahesh Sonawane, who delivered the animals to clients through the delivery application, Porter.

The arrested accused have so far traded more than 50 Indian star tortoises, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.

According to police, the raid was conducted following technical surveillance by a team led by SOG Police inspector Satish Ramani and Range Forest Officer (RFO) Rajendrasinh Vaghela.

The accused used to reach out to buyers through social media platforms and they were making payments through UPI, police said in a statement.

Indian star tortoises have huge demand in the international wildlife market due to its star-patterned shell. It is used as a pet and in various superstitious ceremonies in Southeast Asian countries.

Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is illegal to catch, keep or trade this species. Those in violation are liable for punishment with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine of Rs 25,000.