Known generally for issuing challans for traffic rules violations, the City Patrol Unit (CPU) in Rudrapur ended up preventing wildlife crime. The CPU personnel nabbed three men trying to smuggle more than a dozen turtles.
According to information provided by official sources, CPU personnel were conducting routine checking when they came across three persons with gunny sacks acting in a suspicious manner. The CPU personnel hailed them to stop and on checking their sacks found that the trio was carrying 16 turtles.
The three men were brought to the police station. During questioning, the three men said that they had sourced the 16 turtles from Rampur and were going to deliver them in transit camp. While two of the turtles were adults, the remaining 14 were hatchlings. The police booked the three under Wildlife Protection Act. The men caught by the police were identified as Munna Bahadur from Nepal, Sunil Singh from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and Vijay Mandal from the transit camp. The police further informed that the seized turtles will be shown to the magistrate and will be released in the dam reservoir. The forest department was also informed about the seizure.