In yet another crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) today nabbed two smugglers with 103 kgs of dried soft shell turtle calipee here.
The smugglers, identified as Tilak Singh and Rajesh Kumar Yadav, were arrested from Ghatampur area while they were taking dried calipee in a truck , Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arvind Chaturvedi said.
The dried soft shell turtle calipee were of as many as 13 endangered species found around rivers including Ganga, Gomti, and Ghaghra, the ASP said.
Elaborating on the case, Chaturvedi said that on grilling Saleem Sheikh, whose arrest was made from Kanpur central station,on March 30 last , the STF got vital information about the links of people involved in illegal turtle trade.
Following inputs about smugglers, including Tilak and Rajesh that they were involved in collecting dried turtle calipee from several districts including Etawah, Auraiyya, Mainpuri, and Farukkabad, STF with the help of forest officials made the arrests.
According to the STF, the dried calipee, stuffed in seven bags and gunny bags, were hidden behind a polythene consignment in a truck.
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The ASP claimed that the dried soft shell turtle calipee was to be smuggled to China and Malaysia through Bangladesh.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC and wildlife protection act 1972 and investigation was on.