Muzaffarpur: A joint team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) conducted a raid on the Purvanchal Express at Muzaffarpur Junction, apprehending a woman in possession of four turtles. The turtles were found in her bag while she was traveling from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, to Kolkata.
After completing the legal formalities, the RPF and GRP handed over the turtles to the Forest Department. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bharat Chinta Pillai explained that Indian softshell or Ganges softshell turtles are classified as endangered species. Capturing or harming them is strictly prohibited, and stringent actions are taken against such offences. The smuggling of these rare species, found in the Ganges River, has been under strict scrutiny.
Based on information received, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted raids in Patna, Hajipur, and Muzaffarpur, involving teams of RPF and GRP. These raids were related to the use of turtles for medicinal purposes in Kolkata. The DRI alerted the Forest Department about several women traveling with turtles on the Purvanchal Express from Gorakhpur to Kolkata. Upon receiving the raid alert, many women took advantage of the crowd and left the train. One woman was arrested, presented in court on Wednesday, and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
Certain body parts of these turtles are used in making specialized medicines in China, contributing to the trafficking of turtles from West Bengal to Nepal and China, where various medicines are crafted from them.
It is completely prohibited to breed or rear any species of Indian turtles. Trafficking them is considered a criminal offence, punishable by a prison term ranging from three to seven years.
