Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials rescued as many as more than 550 pigeons being illegally transported in the Howrah-Jagadalpur Samaleswari Express on Saturday.
Acting on a tipoff, the RPF officials conducted a raid on the train at the Balangir railway station at about 11 am. The officials rescued the pigeons kept in seven baskets from the general compartment of the train.
The officials also detained a person in this connection and handed the accused as well as birds over to Balangir forest officials for further course of action.