SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 7: A total of 78 live Indian flapshell turtles were recovered from the women’s coach of the Yog Nagri Rishikesh–Howrah Doon Express (Train No. 13010) at Dhanbad Railway Station under the East Central Railway (ECR) zone on Friday.
According to senior officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the recovery was made during a search operation conducted under Operation WILEP. The RPF team, while inspecting the train, found six unclaimed jute bags lying under the seats in the women’s coach near the guard brake section.
Also Read- ED raids 8 locations in Bengal over trafficking and prostitution racket
Upon opening the bags, the team discovered that all six contained live Indian flapshell turtles. None of the passengers in the coach claimed ownership of the luggage. The estimated market value of the seized turtles is around ₹7.8 lakh.
After completing the necessary formalities, the RPF handed over the rescued turtles to the Dhanbad Forest Division for further action.
The operation was led by RPF Sub-Inspector Kundan Kumar along with his team.
