i tried google and found some old news
Star tortoise smuggling has declined, authorities claimWednesday, Sep 28, 2005
http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/28/stories/2005092816810300.htmP. Oppili
Authorities seized 3,300 of the reptiles till September this year
CHENNAI: While wildlife activists express serious concern over the smuggling of star torrtoises, official statistics show that there has been a decrease in the number of cases of smuggling in the last two years. However, the number of star tortoises seized has gone up, officials claim.
The Wildlife officials have rescued 3,065 star tortoises during 2003 and the number has come down to 1,012 last year. Till September this year, the authorities have seized 3,300 star tortoises from the exit points and those abandoned.
The change is attributed to the increased vigil at the exit points such as airport and seaport.
The Wildlife authorities say that all the security agencies in both these places were well aware of the smuggling.
Hence, the security has been tightened at the exit points, they said.
However, they agreed that adequate protection is needed in the forest areas from where the specimens are collected systematically.
More in Chittoor
It is commonly believed that star tortoises are found abundantly in forests of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh; from there they are brought to the city and then smuggled to Singapore and Malaysia.
However, the officials say the tortoises are found in Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu and also in a few forest areas in Karnataka.
The star tortoises are collected between mid-January and February and from mid-July to November.
Authorities note that most of the seized star tortoises were collected from the wild.
But, one consignment of star tortoises recently seized by them led to the suspicion that the reptiles could have been hand-reared, as their shells were softer than the ones from the wild.
The star tortoises are sought for many reasons - to be used in traditional Chinese medicine, as a delicacy in South East Asian nations or to be reared as pets in the West.
The shells of adult reptiles are also used for making ornamental boxes, the authorities said.
Star tortoise smuggling `kingpin' in custody of wildlife authoritiesFriday, Nov 25, 2005
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/25/stories/2005112515060300.htmStaff Reporter
Narayanan of Tondiarpet allegedly bought them from Andhra Pradeshshikaris
# Each specimen would fetch about Rs. 300
# `Star tortoises were smuggled mainly to be reared as pets'
CHENNAI: Wildlife department officials in the city have arrested the `kingpin' of the star tortoise smuggling racket to Malaysia in the last couple of years.
The wildlife authorities said Customs officials summoned R. Narayanan (25) of Tiruvalluvar Nagar, Tondiarpet, in connection with a drug smuggling case.
When they found out that he was not involved in the case they were handling, but was involved in the smuggling of star tortoises, they informed the Wildlife authorities, who took custody of Narayanan.
Preliminary investigation by the Wildlife authorities revealed that Narayanan used to buy star tortoises from `shikaris' from Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh, who collected the reptiles from the wild.
The Wildlife authorities said that each specimen would fetch about Rs 300, and were mainly sent to Malaysia. From Malaysia the reptiles would go to different destinations including Singapore and the U.S. They were smuggled mainly to be reared as pets, Narayanan told the officials.
Last year, he had received a consignment of 650 star tortoises from the shikaris of Andhra Pradesh and this year he received two consignments - 350 and 660. So far, he had purchased 1,660 star from the shikaris, which he then tried to smuggle to Malaysia through the carriers.
However, the consignments were seized at the airport and other places, the wildlife authorities said.
It was for the first time the authorities arrested a person directly involved in the smuggling of star tortoises.
A senior officer said, "With the arrest of one of the kingpins, more and more information about star tortoise smuggling should come to light."
This post has been edited by titansulcata: Sep 15 2006, 08:36 AM 
Sep 14 2006, 07:04 PM, updated 18y ago
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And thanks to Uzairi and all. Cool place to be 
How they sleep ? Close their eyes and pull their head in. 
)
all must adult 1 and ready to make. it i think will bring alot of success to new generation to our turtle and tortoise. 
and also can help to stop the smugglers from stolen the wild 1. 
. Yeah, i plan to include the turtles we got too. But i scare later Jabatan Perhilitan come and take all those exotic ones. 
... about in traditional Chinese medicine, we also cant do anything, what we can do just hope the chinese people mind will change n dont use ST in their mediccine anymore in future. 
and export out 
U still have ur torts aite ?
Need to do another trip there. 
Yalor the world is too small.................... that pic is so meaningful for me, that times we 10 people becomes HK, UPM top 10 member and she are vice president. i only AJK. so miss them now!!! 
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