A joint team of GRP and RPF personnel arrested two persons, including a woman, on platform number 2 of Chheoki Junction station for smuggling turtles on Sunday. A total of 204 trutles packed in 10 sacks were recovered from them, said police.
The price of these recovered turtles in the international market has been estimated at ₹33 lakh. After investigation, these turtles were handed over to the Forest Department team to be released in the wild safely, police added.
Police said that the team of GRP and RPF who were on the alert in light of the police constable recruitment examination underway on Sunday, were undertaking checking at the Chheoki railway station when they spotted 10 bags of jute at platform number two on the Howrah End. When the policemen opened the sacks, they found hundreds of small and big turtles in them. Police then arrested Sultanpur resident Sandeep and a woman Ajay on charges of turtle smuggling.
During interrogation the duo shared that they were going to Kolkata with these turtles. GRP Chheoki in-charge Rajeev Singh said that the turtle smugglers planned to sell the turtles at an exorbitant price in Kolkata. In many places, besides meat, turtles are also in demand for making intoxicants and power enhancing medicines.