Smuggled rabbits rescued from Sanghamitra Express

BENGALURU: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Saturday night rescued 11 rabbits that were being smuggled to Bihar by two passengers on board the Sanghamitra Express. A crackdown on wildlife smuggling through trains is being carried out across the country by the Railway Board to curb the menace. 

According to a railway source, ‘Abbakka’ unit, RPF’s Shakti teams (specially constituted to curb crimes against women), led by Assistant Sub-Inspector N P Tanjuja was conducting a routine check between Krishnarajapuram and Bangarpet when they came across two iron cages with rabbits inside S3 coach of train no. 12295.

 “Two ticketless passenger who later managed to buy extra fare tickets on the train were carrying 11 rabbits with them. The rabbits looked ill. The duo said they planned to raise them as pets in Bihar. This raised our suspicion as no one generally takes so many rabbits,” said the source.

After interrogating them, it was revealed that the rabbits were being smuggled illegally. The duo were arrested and handed over to the Regional Forest Officer at Bangarpet. The rabbits were also handed over to the RFO, he added. 

In another smuggling incident at Bangarpet earlier this year, a Cobra was rescued from a train. The RPF has recently been empowered to crack down on wildlife smuggling on trains.