Rescued turtles at Barharwa Railway Station
By Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: Live turtles and Tortoises in substantial number being smuggled through rail route were recovered under operation WILEP by RPF from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar during last two days.
Total 790 live turtles and tortoises being smuggled to unknown destination were recovered by Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Malda division on December 19, in raids conducted under operation WILEP, in two different trains respectively at Barharwa and Malda Town stations.
In regards to incident of recovery made at Barharwa station, it is stated acting promptly on a tip off by on duty escort party of train no 15734 Bathinda-Balurghat Farakka Express, RPF personnel of Barharwa post conducted raid in coach S-01 of the train, leading to recovery of live turtles and tortoises.
The RPF personnels of Barharwa post were alerted by escort party members when they became suspicious about luggage of one male and two female passengers consisting number of jute bags.
On arrival of the train at Barharwa station, the coach of the train in which the said passengers were travelling were thoroughly searched and in course total 18 jute bags containing live turtles and tortoises were recovered by members of RPF team.
Of the total recovered bags 16 bags contained 40 live tortoises each. Of the two remaining bags one contained 21 live tortoise and other contained a large sized tortoise.
Following the recovery, the male and two female passengers who had claimed ownership of jute bags earlier were detained for illegal smuggling of wildlife and later the matter was reported to forest department authorities of Sahebganj district in Jharkhand.
Earlier same day 128 live turtles kept hidden inside a gunny bag were recovered by RPF escort party members from a coach of train no 13410 Kiul-Malda Town Intercity Express. As train left New Farakka station a female passenger carrying five heavy backpack bags and one jute bags came to notice of RPF escort party members.
On arrival of the train at Malda Town station, the luggage of the female passenger was searched by RPF team consisting lady members leading to the recovery. The recovered turtles besides the passenger found involved in wild life smuggling was later handed over to forest department officials for further action.
In past also attempts of illegal smuggling of turtles and tortoises through rail route had been thwarted by RPF, Malda division under operation WILEP. Under operation WILEP, RPF acts against smugglers involved in illegal trade of wildlife.
In the meantime, as per information RPF, East Central Railway (ECR) also recovered 102 live turtles being smuggled illegally from coach no S-03 of 13010 of Howrah -Dehradun (Doon) Express train on last Friday at Gaya junction.
The recovery was made in course of search of S-03 coach of the train at Gaya junction by joint patrol team consisting members of RPF and Crime Intelligence Branch, Gaya.
In course of search of S-03 compartment, five bags were found kept concealed under a berth by joint patrol team. The bags were later opened by patrol team members as no passenger in the compartment claimed ownership of the bags.
Subsequently on recovery of live turtles from the bags, they were handed over to forest department officials for conservation and further action. It may be mentioned here most of the turtle and tortoise species of India are protected under various schedules of Wild Life (Protection) Act.
As many species of turtles and freshwater tortoises are critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable, their hunting besides trade of their body parts and derivatives is restricted under Wild Life (Protection) Act.
However, reports about smuggling of tortoises and their body parts have increased of late. As per unofficial sources organized gangs are involved in smuggling of protected species due to their medicinal value and use for food purposes.
As per informed sources because of belief, keeping tortoises in houses can reduce negative planetary effects, is also a reason illegal trade of tortoise smuggling is flourishing. The Indian hard-shell turtles are mainly being targeted for pet trade and soft-shell turtles for meat consumption and research, sources said.
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