Police claim first ever recovery of smuggled turtle meat, arrest six

LUCKNOW: Turtle meat was caught while being smuggled in a van in Barabanki on Monday and the police has now claimed that this was the first time smuggled turtle meat had been caught.

“Turtle meat smuggling has been caught for the first time in the country, as till now live turtles were rescued. The wildlife crime control bureau is also going to sound an alert after this case,” said SP Barabanki, Dr Arvind Chaturvedi, who developed the intelligence network against poachers and wildlife criminals.

“The meat was packed in four thermal boxes hidden under fish, and the total weight of the turtle meat was 120 kilograms,” said Arunima Singh, member turtle survival alliance (TSA).

The team of TSA including regional Director, Shailendra Singh, and Arunima examined the recovered meat. “It was Indian Soft-Shell Turtle. This comes under Schedule 1 species of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is declared vulnerable by IUCN (International Union for conservation of Nature). The samples will be sent to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for further forensic report,” said Arunima.

Till now six persons have been arrested. One of them, identified as Guddu, told the police that they worked with fishermen who caught turtles and chopped them in small pieces which were packed with dry ice.

Others who have been arrested include Ramanand Bhagat of Udham Singh Nagar, Uttrakhand, Guddu, Khiro, Raebareli, Vishal, PGI area, Lucknow, Rakesh, PGI area Lucknow, Kamlesh Khiro, Raebareli and Salman, Barauli near Utrethiya station, Lucknow.

“We have shared the details of the case with police in other districts too,” said Dr Chaturvedi.

THE MEAT WAS PACKED IN FOUR THERMAL BOXES HIDDEN UNDER FISH, AND THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE TURTLE MEAT WAS 120 KG