MALDA: At least 1200 rare variety turtles were recovered by RPF personnel on duty at Malda Town railway station today, RPF officials said. "The turtles were kept in 35 bags and were brought to Malda by Down 4004 Anandgarh Express from Pratapgarh in UP," Sub-inspector of crime intelligence branch, RPF, J S Parihar said. "The turtles, all blackish in colour weighed between 200 grams and one kilogram," he said.
Ajay, Suresh and Mahinder, all residents of Sultanpur in UP who brought the turtles from UP to Malda were detained, he said. RPF sub-inspector R R Singh who was on duty checked the bags out of suspicion and discovered the turtles, he said. While the turtles were counted and handed over to the officials of state forest department, the miscreants were handed over to English Bazar police station.