Indian national jailed in Singapore for smuggling 58 Indian star tortoises via Changi Airport

An Indian national named Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali has been sent to prison for 16 months in Singapore for smuggling 58 Indian star tortoises via Changi International Airport. Abdul Jaffar was on his way to Indonesia with the highly endangered tortoise species when he got caught.

The wildlife smuggling incident occurred on 29 August 2024, but the jail sentence was passed only on 10 December 2024. Ali was convicted of one count of illegally importing a scheduled species into Singapore.

CNA reported: “The Indian star tortoise is listed as a highly endangered species in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. According to the National Parks Board (NParks), such species face a serious risk of extinction if their trade is not severely restricted.”

The CNA report said, based on court documents, that Abdul Jaffar had wrapped the tiny tortoises in cloth and bundled them in his suitcase. After he was caught, a veterinarian in Singapore, assessing the health of the smuggled tortoises, said that this manner of transportation had caused the little creatures “unnecessary suffering”.

The tortoise smuggler was travelling from Chennai (in Tamil Nadu, south India) to Jakarta, Indonesia, via Singapore Changi Airport. While in transit, his suitcase was screened by officers of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Something about the way the suitcase was packed aroused the ICA officers’ suspicion; they opened the suitcase and found the captive Indian star tortoises. The matter was referred to Singapore NParks, as it concerned wildlife trafficking. The tortoises were sent to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation for a health checkup.

Not only did the smuggled tortoises belong to a highly endangered species, and trafficking them was a crime in itself, but also the manner of their transportation — bundled in cloth in a soft-shelled suitcase — was not humane and safe. The little tortoises could have been crushed to death anytime inside the suitcase, if something heavy fell on the bag.

In addition, the suitcase was suffocating; there were no ventilation outlets. The suitcase was also not labelled as “fragile”, so careless handling could have killed the tortoises. In fact, one of the tortoises was found dead when the suitcase was opened.

CNA quoted court documents as stating that “Abdul Jaffar did not have a valid permit issued by the director-general of wildlife trade control to import a scheduled species into Singapore”.