Poaching of turtles and tortoises in India

According to media reports, 14 different species of turtle, tortoise are traded illegally in India. Turtles and tortoises are popular with poachers because they are easy to transport from one place to another , compared to fish and other animals which die easily . In the last 6 years, more than 60,000 turtles, mainly from the gangetic plains, were seized by the enforcement agencies
Red crowned roofed turtle is believed to have occult powers and is in demand in south east asia
The tortoises and turtles are poached for meat. They are also kept as pets, as they are believed to bring good luck to the pet owner.

There is often no money involved in the illegal trade of tortoises from India, Indians supply their turtles to Thailand and they get ornamental fish in return, These ornamental fish are then sold by the traders in the indian market for money