Kolkata, July 23 (IANS) General Railways Police (GRP), on Wednesday, recovered 268 endangered species of soft-shell turtles, scientifically known as Trionychidae, from Malda Town Station in Malda district of West Bengal.

A senior official of the state Forest Department said that the varieties of soft-shell turtles recovered on Wednesday were of the endangered species category and were included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The fauna species included under Schedule I are provided with the highest level of protection for endangered species in India. It prohibits the hunting, trading, and any form of exploitation of these animals. Violations of Schedule I regulations are met with the harshest penalties under the said Act.

The GRP personnel received information that turtles were being smuggled on the Bathinda-Balurghat Farakka Express today.

Acting on the tip-off, GRP personnel were on alert at Malda Town Station and started waiting to thwart the attempt. After conducting a search of the train compartments, five bags full of turtles were recovered from an unguarded compartment. However, out of 268 turtles, 89 had already died.

The GRP authorities immediately informed the Malda district forest department. The turtles were handed over to the forest department officials after they arrived at the station.

“Five bags full of turtles were recovered from an unguarded compartment. But no smuggler was arrested. A total of 268 turtles were in the bags. A large number of them died. We suspect that the turtles were being smuggled from Balurghat or some other place nearby,” Malda Town Station GRP Police Station inspector-in-charge, Prashant Rai, told media persons on Wednesday.

One of the forest officers, who rushed to the state, said that, as per the government rules, they were taking the turtles from the Railway Police into their custody.

“Then, as per the court order, we will release the live turtles to their habitat. We will cremate the dead turtles as per the wildlife rules,” he added.

–IANS

sch/dan