Sultanpur (UP), February 10 Police arrested two people here on Tuesday and seized 205 protected Indian flap-shell turtles from their possession, officials said.
The arrests were made near the Hanumanganj Bypass on Varanasi Road under the Kotwali Dehat police station limits.
Station House Officer Dharmveer Singh said police received information that two people were standing about 500 metres ahead of the Hanumanganj Bypass, carrying turtles in sacks and backpacks.
Acting on the information, a police team comprising head constable Virendra Kumar Mishra, Raju Singh, constables Sanjay Verma and Ajit Yadav, along with forest guard Gyan Singh Yadav, conducted a raid at the spot.
The police apprehended two people, Babua and Pappu, both residents of Pakdi village under the Kotwali Dehat police station in Sultanpur district.
During the search, eight sacks containing 25 turtles each and two bags containing a total of five turtles were recovered from them, the official said.
During questioning, the accused admitted to being involved in the illegal hunting and trade of turtles and failed to produce any license or valid documents related to the seized wildlife, police said.
Both were arrested under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. The recovered turtles were handed over to the forest department for necessary action to ensure their safety and survival, they added.
