Overview

• GRP officers intercepted the Bathinda-Balurghat Farakka Express at Malda Town Station after receiving a tip-off and recovered 268 Ganges soft-shell turtles hidden in five gunny bags.
• Eighty-nine of the turtles were dead upon discovery, underscoring the lethal conditions of illicit wildlife transport.
• The Ganges soft-shell species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, which prohibits capture or trade and imposes the harshest penalties.
• Preliminary inquiries suggest the turtles were moved from Uttar Pradesh en route to Bangladesh via South Dinajpur, but no arrests have been made.
• Forest department officials have taken the live turtles into custody pending court authorization for release into their natural habitat; the deceased will be cremated under wildlife regulations.