New Delhi, April 17 (HS): The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has shown significant vigilance by seizing 27 turtles being smuggled on the Farakka Express. A special operation at Silchar railway station also involved the recovery of 450 live frogs from an abandoned bag.

The Ministry of Railways disclosed on Thursday that the RPF, responding to intelligence received from Security Control Danapur, acted on suspicious activities aboard train number 15734. Upon the train's arrival at Ara station around 9:20 PM, RPF and GRP officials searched the Farakka Express. They discovered three men and a woman near the toilet of coach S-2, who were carrying suspicious bags.

Upon inspection by the GRP, 7 turtles were found in a backpack belonging to Rihana (31), wife of Vinod, and 7 more in Vinod's bag. The third individual, Umesh, had 13 turtles in his bag.

A case was filed under the BNFS and the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Simultaneously, at Silchar, RPF found three bags with 450 frogs, which were subsequently handed to the DFO of Barak Valley Wildlife Division for action.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar