Assam: Three endangered turtles rescued in Dhubri, two smugglers arrested

The forest personnel arrested two people in the Dhubri district for attempting to smuggle endangered turtles across the border between Assam and West Bengal, on August 19.

Following a tip-off, a team led by Kobin Kumar Bora, range officer, Chagolia account beat and other officials, conducted a raid on National Highway 17 in the Chagolia area.

From an E-rickshaw, three endangered turtles were recovered and seized from the possession of two accused smugglers.

Bhaskar Barman, 35, and Indrajit Barman, 37, who have been identified as the accused, both are residents of the Tufanganj area, which is a part of West Bengal.

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Speaking to media, Kobin Kumar Bora said, two turtles were identified as Indian softshell turtles and one as Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles and all three turtles are endangered species and are nowadays very rare to sight in the wild.

Both the accused were on their way to sell the turtle somewhere near the Gauripur area as per the accused persons. These turtles are often caught by humans, both as bycatch and for consumption, as turtle meat and eggs are considered a delicacy said, Bora.

According to DFO, Binod Kumar Payeng's preliminary inquiry into the situation is ongoing in an effort to identify any other connections or collaborators in the turtle smuggling network. 

Following the conclusion of all legal proceedings, the two suspects who were detained were moved to the district jail, and the turtles were released back into their natural habitat in Dhubri.