BHUBANESWAR: The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) launched a manhunt to nab a city-based kingpin of a wildlife smuggling syndicate hours after seizing 406 endangered star tortoises at Vijayawada railway station on Tuesday. DRI sources said the tortoises, each worth over Rs 19,000 in the international black market, were being smuggled to Bhubaneswar. The total would have come around to Rs 77 lakh in the international market."We detained two women, who were transporting the tortoises to Bhubaneswar by train. We have identified the Bhubaneswar-based smuggler, who was supposed to receive the rare reptiles from the women. The smuggler had planned to export the tortoises to Bangladesh ," a DRI officer told TOI.The DRI officials refused to disclose the names and other details of the women and the man, who was scheduled to take custody of the tortoises. DRI sleuths said Indian star tortoises are the most expensive pets largely found in the shrub forests across the southern peninsula.The star tortoise, listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, is the most traded turtle species in the world. The Indian star tortoise is famed for the star-like radiating patterns on its shell, which serves as a camouflage. The DRI officials could not elaborate on the exact use of the endangered tortoises."We had received intelligence input about the smuggling of the wildlife reptiles. While searching a general compartment of Vivek Express (Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari), we found two women hiding the tortoises in four sacks. Forest official confirmed that the tortoises were declared vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature," the DRI officer said, adding, "the tortoise is prohibited for export under Foreign Trade Policy". DRI sleuths seized the tortoises under Customs Act, 1962 and handed those over to the forest range officer in Vijayawada.Joint teams of forest and Crime Branch officials here busted a number of rackets relating to smuggling of wildlife animals and their organs from Odisha to other states and abroad. The wildlife investigation cell of the Crime Branch issued circulars to district SPs to remain alert about online sale of endangered wildlife organs.

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