Etawah : In the district, on Sunday, the team of STF and Forest Department recovered a total of 13 turtles from poachers at around seven in the morning. The Forest Department team had received information about smuggling that turtles were being smuggled in a luxury car. Some of them were being taken from Etawah to Uttarakhand. Police has arrested three people. Action was taken against them by registering a case under the Forest Act.
Significantly, on Sunday, the forest department team got activated on National Highway 2 near Anantram toll plaza on the information of the informer. A total of 13 turtles of protected species have been recovered together. In which 11 turtles are of Chitra indica species, also known as gangetic soft shell turtles and 2 turtles are of Neilsonia gangetica species. All turtles are being told of Schedule-1 species. Among the poachers, Rajesh Chauhan resident of Rudrapur Uttarakhand, Uttam Eldas resident of Rudrapur Uttarakhand, Shubham resident of Rudrapur Uttarakhand have been arrested along with 13 turtles and tractor-trolley.
Have smuggled turtle many times
Forest Officer Lakhna Range Vivekanand Dubey had received information that some illegal hunters were taking turtles of protected species to Uttarakhand for smuggling through the highway. With the help of flying squad in-charge and STF, field unit Kanpur, the XUV car UK6 AB 3001 coming from Auraiya was caught.
From whose possession a total of 13 live turtles belonging to schedule 1 species have been recovered. In this entire process, legal action is being taken by the Forest Department after preparing a report of the recovery of furs and registering a case against the accused under the Wildlife Act.
This is a very successful action – DFO Atul Kant
Under the direction of DFO Atul Kant Shukla, this is considered to be a very successful action against poachers. He told that on the basis of tip off, both the teams jointly acted and arrested the smugglers. Earlier it was smuggled to Bengal, this time it was being smuggled to Uttarakhand.
(youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epmICCf549A)
