Singapore, Mar 20 (PTI) An Indian national was charged in a Singapore court on Wednesday with packing more than 5,000 wild turtles into his suitcases and transporting them from Singapore to India last year.
Rafique Syed Hariza Ali Hussain, 40, was handed one charge each under the Wildlife Act and the Animals and Birds Act for allegedly exporting 5,160 red-eared sliders, known commonly as terrapins, from the Changi Airport here to the Coimbatore International Airport in Tamil Nadu on November 7, 2023, Channel News Asia reported.
The terrapins, a common term for any aquatic turtle, are considered wildlife under Singapore's Wildlife Act. According to the National Parks Board, Singapore, the red-eared sliders are native to North America.
