Kolkata, July 23 -- A man who flew in from Bangkok to Kolkata was arrested after Customs officials found scores of red-eared slider turtles stashed in his luggage.
The passenger was intercepted and searched after arriving at the airport, following which the turtles were recovered from his baggage, they said.
The turtles were identified as red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), a freshwater turtle native to the southern United States and parts of northern Mexico. The species is one of the world's most widely traded pet turtles and has been introduced into several countries outside its natural range, where it is considered an invasive species capable of competing with native wildlife for food and habitat.
The species Trachemys scri...