In a crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, a joint operation conducted by the Society for Protecting Ophiofauna & Animal Rights (SPOAR) in collaboration with officials of the West Bengal forest dept led to the busting of an illegal turtle meat racket at Haldibari in Cooch Behar on Sunday.Acting on specific intelligence regarding the sale of protected wildlife products in the area, the joint team carried out a raid at the suspect’s location. During the operation, one individual was caught red-handed while selling turtle meat and was immediately apprehended by forest dept personnel.The accused has been identified as Bhagyadhar Roy, a resident of Kana Para, Haldibari.Turtles are protected under schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and the hunting, slaughter, possession, transportation, or commercial sale of turtle meat constitutes a serious offence under the law. Such offences are non-bailable and attract stringent penalties, including substantial fines and imprisonment of up to seven years upon conviction.Forest dept officials have taken the accused into custody and initiated a formal investigation to trace the source of the turtle meat and identify other individuals, including poachers, suppliers, and local buyers, who may be involved in the illegal trade network.SPOAR secretary Arkaprava Majumder reiterated that public participation is crucial in combating wildlife crime and appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and immediately report any incidents of illegal hunting, trafficking, or trade of wild animals to the concerned authorities.
