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Bangladeshi customs agents seize 400 tortoises smuggled in three suitcases

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladeshi customs agents seized more than 400 tortoises being smuggled in three suitcases through the country’s main airport Tuesday, an official said.

Two Indian citizens were arrested in connection with the seizure at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital, Dhaka, customs officer Showkat Ara said.

“The tortoises were carried in three suitcases. They were smuggled to Bangladesh from India and were being taken to Bangkok,” Ara said.

The animals, worth an estimated three million Bangladeshi taka ($37,000) on the black market, will be kept at a conservation center, she added.

Government conservationist Tapan Kumar said the seizure was the largest in recent years and included three types of endangered tortoises, including star tortoises, which are commonly used in Chinese remedies.

Officials said there has been a spike in incidents of exotic animal poaching in recent months.