We’re not sure what he replied when asked ‘Did you pack this bag yourself?’ but let’s hope it was a firm ‘no’. Stunned customs officials discovered the exotic reptiles after stopping two Indian nationals at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata. Both men somehow managed to get the endangered turtles through security checks in China before arousing suspicion as they waited to pick up their bags. An official said: ’10,043 numbers of exotic varieties of the turtles have been seized from two passengers, residents of Chennai, who were coming from China to Singapore, and landed at Kolkata airport.’ The sea turtle is classed as an endangered species due to their numbers decreasing with increased pollution and a loss of habitat. They are also targeted by poachers for their eggs, meat, skin and shells.
