Endangered geckos seized while being smuggled in Ctg

Chattogram Metropolitan Police have arrested two people and seized two geckos from their possession, while the duo were smuggling them from Bandarban to Dhaka.

The arrestees are Monirul Haque (60) and Md Delwar (50), said police.

They were arrested from Maijjartek area under Karnaphuli Police Station of the city early yesterday.

Acting on a tip-off, police detained Monirul from near the Shah Amanat Bridge area, while he was carrying a shopping bag which held the endangered species, Assistant Commissioner of CMP Yasin Arafat said.

Police later arrested Delwar, who had originally given the lizards to Monirul for smuggling, the official said. The lizards will be handed over to the forest department, he added. A case has been lodged against the duo in this connection.

Tokay geckos are attributed supernatural powers in East Asian folklore, and it is an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Some buyers are rumoured to pay thousands of dollars for specimens, making them a target for poachers.