Egyptian national held over attempt to smuggle out 47 tortoises

DAR ES SALAAM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Tuesday they were holding an Egyptian national in connection with an attempt to smuggle 47 live tortoises out of the country.

The authorities said the Egyptian was arrested on Sunday at the Zanzibar International Airport where he was in transit abroad.

Mulhat Yusuf, the Zanzibar Aviation Authority public relations officer, told a news conference that security officers at the airport discovered that a luggage belonging to the Egyptian had live tortoises.

"He was arrested and taken to the airport police station for further questioning and legal action," she said.

In Dec. 2018, Tanzanian police announced the seizure of 114 tortoises that were about to be smuggled to European countries and the United States through South Africa.

Singida Regional Police Commander Sweetbert Njewike said that a suspect was found with the 114 tortoises, packed in different bags, while travelling to Tanzania's southern highland region of Mbeya from the lake zone region of Mwanza.