Foiling a major wildlife trafficking bid, the Customs officials at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport on Wednesday seized 707 red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) from a Chennai-based passenger who arrived from Bangkok.

Customs officials said a detailed investigation is currently underway to identify the network behind the illegal shipment.

“The passenger was intercepted after crossing the Green Channel. Detailed examination of his checked-in baggage resulted in the recovery of 707 live red-eared slider turtles, an invasive exotic species, concealed without any valid licence or permit,” an officer of the Air Intelligence Unit said, adding the passenger had arrived by an IndiGo flight.

“The passenger failed to produce any lawful documents in support of their import or possession. The live turtles were seized under the relevant provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and applicable CITES provisions. Further investigation is in progress,” the official said, adding that the passenger has been detained.

The red-eared slider is a semi-aquatic turtle native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, but it has become one of the most widely distributed invasive species in the world.

As per sources, Thailand serves as a major global transit hub for exotic wildlife. In local, grey-market aquarium shops or online pet groups across India, individual hatchlings or young sliders sell for Rs 800 to Rs 1,500 each. Pairs or larger specimens can go up to Rs 2,000–Rs 5,000.

“Customs remains committed to a zero-tolerance approach towards wildlife trafficking,” said Vinayak Azaad, Principal Commissioner of Customs (Airport & ACC), Kolkata.