24-year-old booked for trying to sell exotic star tortoises in Bandra

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. On Wednesday, officials of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) managed to nab a 24-year-old man near Chetna College in Bandra (east) for allegedly trying to sell star tortoises.

2. The accused, identified as Soham Kale, informed the police that he had bought the endangered species form Crawford market. Also, it has been learnt that this is not the first time Kale tried to sell the protective tortoises. According to Rakesh Burman, a WCCB inspector, Kale would buy star tortoises from Crawford Market and then sell them at exorbitant prices to other illegal traders in the city.

3. After receiving a tip-off about illegal possession and sale of star tortoises by Kale, WCCB officials laid a trap to catch him. A source attached with the bureau posed as the customer, to whom Kale agreed to sell the endangered species on Wednesday evening.

4. A resident of Malad, Kale was caught red-handed while trying to sell the tortoises. Police recovered from him a bag in which he had concealed six live star tortoises.

5. The accused was produced before the Bandra court on Thursday, and was remanded into police custody till May 26.

Note: Possession, transport, sale of star tortoises are prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and attracts an imprisonment of up to three years.