BHUBANESWAR : In a major crackdown against illegal smuggling of protected wildlife species, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday seized 1,448 Indian flapshell turtles from Khurda and arrested one person in this connection.
The accused, 38-year-old Mahadeb Dey, a native of Bardhaman district in West Bengal, was booked under section 50(1)C - read with section 9 and serial no 44 of schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Officials of DRI Hyderabad zonal unit said the turtles were seized from Dey’s possession at Godipada toll plaza in Khurda. The van in which the turtles were being transported has also been seized.
The Indian flapshell turtle classified as a scheduled - I species, has been accorded stringent protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Following the seizure, the turtles were handed over to the Forest department. The accused was also handed over to Khurda forest division and forwarded to the court for judicial remand.
“Dey was transporting the turtles in a cargo of 56 trays in a van. To make it appear as fish transport, he had kept ice cubes and dead fish in 15 more trays,” said Khurda ACF Susanta Kumar Bandha.
During interrogation, Dey revealed he was transporting the turtles from Narayanpur area of Andhra Pradesh to Badgaon area of West Bengal. “The accused who identified himself as a trader said the turtles were being transported for their sale in the local area for consumption purpose. A team has been formed to investigate the matter further and ascertain the involvement of others in the illegal trade,” the ACF said.
He said out of the 1,448 turtles, 1,346 were alive while the remaining had died. The rescued turtles have been released into their natural habitat within the protected areas of the state.
This is the second major crackdown against illegal trading of the protected species in the state in the last six months. Forest officials of Motu range in Malkangiri division had in September 2024 rescued 470 softshell turtles besides 69 dead ones from two fertiliser-laden vehicles during a late night operation. They had arrested four persons from MV-71 of the district’s Nalagunthi panchayat in this connection. The turtles were also being transported illegally from Andhra Pradesh.