The CID Forest Mobile Squad has apprehended two persons who were attempting to sell a star tortoise, also called as Geochelone, in Madikeri on Tuesday (June 16).

A statement here said the Madikeri squad personnel received a tip-off that two individuals were trying to sell the star tortoise at a bus shelter near Kannanda Padubeeru circle in Madikeri.

The sleuths conducted a raid at the place around 6.30 p.m. on June 16, nabbed two persons and seized the tortoise. The arrested have been identified as Sreedharan C.K., 70, and Vishnu Acharya, 68, both residents of Kasargod district in Kerala.

The accused were produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. The raid was carried out by Shivashankar and his staff comprising Umesh N.K., Sharanth K.P., Divyashree and Swamy M. of the CID Forest Mobile Squad under the guidance of Sangeetha G., Deputy Inspector General of Police, CID Forest unit, Bengaluru, and Pawan Netturu, Superintendent of Police, CID Forest Unit, Madikeri.

The public can alert the authorities about illegal activities related to forest laws and wildlife protection by contacting CID Forest Unit, Madikeri Superintendent of Police office: 9480800220 and CID Forest Mobile Squad, Madikeri office: 8277949812, said a press statement.