BSF seizes 100 kg tortoise bones in two operations, apprehend three people

In one raid, BSF seized 40 kg tortoise bones from a house at Chakmailpur village in Malda. The tortoise bones were likely to be smuggled to Bangladesh.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has seized a huge quantity of tortoise bones in two different operations in Malda district and apprehended three persons in this connection, a BSF release said.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of BSF and forest department stopped a Malda-bound bus coming from Farakka near Baishnabnagar on NH-34 on Tuesday and seized around 60 kilogram of semi-dry tortoise bones packed in five bags, it said.

Three persons, all residents of Uttar Pradesh, were apprehended, the BSF release said.

In the second operation, BSF personnel seized 40 kg tortoise bones from a house at Chakmailpur village under the jurisdiction of Kaliachak police station on Tuesday, the release added. The tortoise bones were likely to be smuggled to Bangladesh, it said.

The apprehended persons and the seized tortoise bones have been handed over to the customs department at Kaliachak in Malda district for further action.