Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel at Dhanbad Station were in for a surprise when they opened unclaimed four bags on board Doon Express on Monday morning. The RPF personnel found a 100 Indian tent turtles, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. All of the turtles were found alive.
"RPF personnel, led by Inspector Sunil Kumar Pandey chanced upon the unclaimed 4 bags in the coach no S-7 during a routine inspection of the Doon Express at Dhanbad station at 5.55am. The duo noticed the bag moving," said an RPF official on condition of anonymity.
Soon after the discovery, the RPF inspector informed the state forest department's Dhanbad division. The turtles were then handed over to forest officials at around 11:45pm on Monday. Later all the turtles were pushed in Maithon dam.
Lauding the RPF duo's prompt response, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau's (WCCB) officials said turtle smugglers prefer transporting their haul on long-distance trains. "During some of our latest crackdowns on turtle smugglers, we found out that turtles and tortoises were primarily transported from Bengal to Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding WCCB has urged RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel to be on alert and bust smuggling rackets.
The RPF Inspector said the only way to clamp down on turtle smuggling was to "break its backbone". "Dedicated forest department teams need to be pressed into service to keep vigil on illegal turtle trade routes.
They should gather information and crack the whip on smugglers. Prompt and continuous action will thwart future smuggling bids," said Pandey, adding that turtles are regarded as Feng Sui lucky charms and symbols of wealth.
According to local wildlife experts, there is a huge demand for Indian and exotic tortoises and turtles. In fact, most citizens keep them as pets. "Indian tent turtles have a high demand due to the tent-like appearance. These hump-like projections serve as unique selling point," said a wildlife expert on condition of anonymity.