Indian national sentenced for smuggling 58 vulnerable tortoises into Singapore

An Indian man was sentenced to 16 months in jail for smuggling 58 Indian star tortoises into Singapore. Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali, 40, pleaded guilty on Monday to unlawfully bringing the tortoises into Singapore in August.

Ali arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport on August 29, 2024, from India, intending to travel onward to Jakarta. The tortoises were concealed in his personal luggage, sealed without ventilation, according to news agency PTI. he Indian star tortoise is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. One tortoise died during the journey, and authorities later found that 22 others were underweight.

Court documents revealed that Ali had received the tortoises from a friend known as “Bhai,” who arranged his travel and accommodation. In exchange, Bhai asked Ali to transport a packed bag to Jakarta. Ali admitted he did not check the bag’s contents after receiving it from Bhai on August 28 in Chennai.

Lim Chong Hui, a prosecutor from Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks), said, “At all material times, the accused had ample opportunity to check and verify the contents of the luggage himself in the presence of Bhai.”

Previously, Ali also faced charges under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act and the Animals and Birds Act for failing to ensure the well-being of the tortoises.