Man allegedly had 58 Indian star tortoises in his possession
A man allegedly had 58 Indian star tortoises in his possession at around 8am on Aug 29 during his transit at Changi Airport Terminal 2 while he was travelling from India to Jakarta, Indonesia.
On Aug 30, Indian national Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali, 40, was charged with unlawfully bringing the animals into Singapore – an offence under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act.
He is accused of transporting them to the city-state without a valid permit or certificate.
Abdul Jaffar was also handed a charge under the Animals and Birds Act for allegedly failing to take reasonable steps in ensuring that the tortoises did not suffer unnecessarily.
The tortoises were said to be concealed in his personal luggage, which was sealed and not ventilated. Court documents did not disclose the current state of the animals.
According to online animal encyclopedia Animalia, the Indian star tortoise is a threatened species and its name comes from the star-like patterns on its shell.
The website stated: “Because of these very distinctive patterns and its highly rounded shell, the Indian star tortoise is popular in the world’s trade in exotic pets.”
Abdul Jaffar’s case will be mentioned again in court on Sept 20.
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