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150 rare turtles seized in Howrah

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

Police at Howrah railway station seized 150 rare turtles from the 2842 Calcutta-Madras Coromandal Express late Thursday. The Government Railway Police personnel on duty discovered the turtles soon after the train arrived at the station in the evening.

The turtles were packed in separate corrugated boxes. According to a GRP constable, he saw movement in the boxes while they were being unloaded.

"I informed my senior officers. When we began opening the boxes, all of us were shocked to see live turtles inside," he said.

Though the police have not made any arrests, they do not rule out the possibility of this being part of a well-orchestrated racket.

"Well, that could be one possibility. We are trying to find out the owner of these boxes. But, one thing is clear, the turtles must have been loaded somewhere in Orissa (may be Cuttack). While passing through the state, the Coromandal Express mostly travels through the coastal belt," said a GRP officer.

The turtles have been handed over to Salt Lake's Deer Research Centre for rehabilitation. The centre's chief supervisor G D Tabriwal told rediff.com that the turtles were of a rare breed.

Tibriwal added that selling the turtles would have fetched a staggering amount to its smugglers. He said the turtles were in no danger.

Deemed as an endangered species, the government had taken unprecedented measures to save the sea turtles in recent years. The government was forced to initiate a comprehensive conservation plan in the wake of the death of 16,000 turtles off the Orissa coast in 1998.

Under the Marine Fishing Regulation Act and the Wildlife Protection Act, fishing has been banned within a radius of 20 km from the coast and river mouths.

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