Tripura: Smuggler held, six Indian roofed turtle babies rescued in Agartala

In a commendable effort to combat wildlife smuggling, the Pawsome NGO, along with local authorities, successfully thwarted a turtle trafficking attempt of six Indian-roofed turtle babies at a pet store in Agartala.

The NGO's swift action led to the arrested smuggler identified as, Raju Miah, who was caught red-handed attempting to sell six Indian roofed turtle babies at a pet store.

Upon receiving the information, Pawsome NGO's dedicated members, Akash Paul, Souvik Sinha, Amitava Deb, and Bapan Das, rushed to the scene and apprehended the culprit. 

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, they immediately contacted the forest department for assistance.

The forest department promptly responded to the NGO's call and took control of the situation. Later, Miah was detained by the authorities, and all six turtle babies were seized from his possession. 

Following the arrest, Miah was handed over to the NCC Police Station, where he will be held in custody pending his court appearance scheduled for tomorrow.

During the preliminary interrogation, Raju confessed to being part of a larger illegal wildlife trade network. 

According to his testimony, a significant consignment of 300 Indian roofed turtle babies has arrived in Tripura, with plans to smuggle them into neighboring states.

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