On Wednesday, Delhi Police reported that they had apprehended a smuggler who had been smuggling turtles and other extinct species, in addition to saving around 100 live turtles. At the Geeta Colony police station, a case has been filed against the accused under the Wild Life Protection Act and the 11(A) Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
The culprit, Bheem, 38, a resident of the Ghaziabad region of Uttar Pradesh, was taken into custody by the police on Tuesday afternoon from Geeta Colony.
The police said that they had seized one hundred live turtles, comprising fifty Indian-roofed turtles, forty-five black-spotted pond turtles, three Indian eyed turtles (Schedule-I), and two Indian softshell turtles (Schedule-I). About 1:00 PM, according to the police, they received a tip about a man who was smuggling dozens of turtles. They also mentioned that a group of animal activists had pretended to be fictitious customers and ordered the turtles from him online. They were corresponding over Telegram and WhatsApp.
50 Indian-roofed turtles (Pangshura tecta), 45 black pond or spotted pond turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii), three Indian-eyed turtles (Morenia petersi), and two Indian softshell turtles (Nilssonia gangetica) are among the reptiles, according to the early evaluation. According to police, each turtle would get in between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 for the smugglers on the illicit market.
The Indian roofed turtle is classified as “vulnerable and rare” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, while the black pond, Indian-eyed, and Indian softshell turtles are listed as “endangered”. The offender has been taken into police custody, the officials continued, and the turtles would be housed for the time being in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. The Uttar Pradesh police have earlier charged his accomplice in a related case.
Source: Hindustan Times
