A freshwater turtle smuggling racket was busted with the arrest of its kingpin from near the Bhitarkanika Nationak Park in Kendrapara district on Sunday.
Sekhar Jena (24) was arrested from Madanpur, adjacent to the national park, with 14 turtles by forest personnel, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division Kedar Kumar Swain said. Jena was later handed over to police. The seized turtles were released into nearby water bodies.
The number of freshwater turtle is sharply dwindling as they are caught and smuggled out mostly to major urban centres of the State and to Kolkata, forest officials said. The Forest Department would soon launch a drive in Rajnagar, Mahakalpada and Jamboo forest ranges for conservation of freshwater turtles. local settlers eking out a living by traditional inland fishing would be made aware of the fact that either catching alive or killing a freshwater turtle is a penal offence, the officials said.