India: Chitrakonda Forest Range Officials seized 376 Indian softshell turtles at Chitrakonda, 60 km from here, and arrested three smugglers on Friday. Of the seized turtles,  270 were alive.

Acting on a tip-off that turtles were being transported from Pithapuram in Andhra Pradesh to Malkangiri, forest officials laid a trap at RMC Gate of Chitrakonda in the morning and intercepted the autorickshaw carrying the turtles. The arrested are Sheikh Rafi (25), Karim Sheikh (30) and Shaktibabu Cherikutti (30). The autorickshaw was also seized.

Range Officer NC Sarkar, who led the team, said the turtles were kept in eight different bags in the autorickshaw. “On inquiry, we learnt that those were being illegally transported to Malkangiri and other areas of the district for consumption,” said Sarkar.

An FIR has been lodged against the three smugglers under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and they have been produced in the court.  These Indian soft shell turtles are in high demand in the market, forest officials said, adding that each turtle will fetch anywhere between `10,000 and `1 lakh in the international market.

"Of the 376 turtles seized, 270 were alive and those have been released into Chitrakonda reservoir" - Srikant Nayak, ACF

The live turtles were later released in Chitrakonda reservoir while others were found dead, said Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Srikant Nayak.

(Source: New Indian Express)