This story is from July 28, 2020

UP: 120kg turtle meat seized in Barabanki; a first in north India, claim cops

In what could be seen as the first of its kind haul in north India, Barabanki district police have seized 120kg turtle meat possibly meant to be sold abroad.
UP: 120kg turtle meat seized in Barabanki; a first in north India, claim cops
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LUCKNOW: In what could be seen as the first of its kind haul in north India, Barabanki district police have seized 120kg turtle meat possibly meant to be sold abroad.
Police have alerted the wildlife division of Interpol, which is based in Singapore, to find out what market the consignment was headed to.
Senior police officials said they had received a tip-off from Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) that soft shell turtle was being smuggled in large quantities from Amethi, Sultanpur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki and Bahraich.
A dedicated team was formed under inspector of Loni Katra and was directly supervised by SP Barabanki.
“Based on the inputs, we laid a trap near Loni Katra turn and intercepted a goods carrier with six persons. During inspection of the vehicle, thermocol boxes stuffed with fish were recovered and below that meat of turtle was concealed,” said SP Barabanki Arvind Chaturvedi.
Six people—Ramanada Bhagat, Guddu, Vishal Lal, Rakesh, Kamlesh and Salman—were arrested while 120kg turtle meat was recovered. Experts from TSA, a US-based NGO in Lucknow, were called to the spot to confirm the findings.
Chaturvedi, who has cracked over 200 animal trafficking cases while in UP STF, said the arrested men had revealed that the meat was on way to Pilibhit. However, they did not know if it was meant for a destination further.

“We have sought assistance of the wildlife unit of Interpol in this case,” he added.
According to statistics and data available with UP STF, usually, calipee from a turtle’s body is smuggled for soup to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Thousands of live turtles have been caught by STF in the past on way to being smuggled.
However, turtle meat smuggling was a first for UP Police, forest department, TSA or Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the SP said.
TSA India director Shailendra Singh told TOI that the recovered meat belonged to soft shell turtle species which according to the Wild Wildlife Conservation Act, 1972, was a forest animal and classified highly vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN.
“It is for the first time in UP that turtle meat has been recovered. Samples have been collected and would be sent to Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun and Indian Veterinary Research Institute,” he said.
According to sources, Interpol is considering issuing an alert over smuggling of animals via sea and land routes during the pandemic.
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About the Author
Pathikrit Chakraborty

Highly responsive to unfolding developments. Reports on crime, and terrorism in UP and also probes by National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Uttar Pradesh.

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