42 rare turtles recovered in Bengal, one arrested

Kolkata, May 20 (IANS) A total of 42 rare turtles were seized from a railway station in West Bengal's Hooghly and one person arrested, police said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip off, Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel conducted a raid at a number of railway stations and local trains in the Howrah-Sheoraphuli line on Saturday and arrested one person with two bags full of turtles.

"The smuggler has been arrested from the Chandannagar railway station in Hooghly district and 42 live turtles were seized from his luggage. The turtles are said to be of a rare species," said a senior officer of Sheoraphuli GRP Station.

"The accused has been taken into police custody while the turtles have been handed over to the local Forest Department officials in Hooghly," he added.