Lucknow: Making a breakthrough in checking smuggling of turtles from UP to South East Asian countries, a team of forest officials recovered 124 turtles from Mainpuri district and arrested a gang member involved in the racket.
A team of forest department conducted a raid in Nagla Rateh area in Mainpuri district on Saturday on a tip off and recovered 124 turtles, Divisional Forest Officer Manish Singh, who led the team said.
Of the 124 turtles, 100 are Black Pond turtles, 20 Indian mud turtles and 4 Softshell Turtles, he said. During the raid, one Jitendra resident of Nagla Rateh was arrested while the kingpin of the smuggling gang Akhilesh resident of the same village managed to fled.
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