Malkangiri, Aug 6: The Forest Department in Malkangiri district rescued 1,078 turtles while being transported illegally from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Acting on a tip-off, a special team led by Motu Forest officials intercepted a Bolero SUV near the Andhra-Odisha border and conducted a search. During the search, the vehicle was found packed with turtles stuffed inside 25 polythene bags, many of them in inhumane conditions.

Of the total turtles seized, 910 were found alive while 168 had died during transport.

The consignment was reportedly being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh to various locations across Malkangiri, where demand for turtle meat remains high.

Following this, a case was registered and three individuals were arrested. They were identified as Sukumar Tarafdar, Biswanath Mandal, and Jugala Chandra De. All three have been forwarded to court for judicial custody.

Authorities estimate the market value of the seized turtles to be around Rs 4 lakh.

Malkangiri DFO Sai Kiran DN confirmed that the operation was launched based on confidential intelligence.

“This is part of our intensified crackdown on wildlife trafficking. The rescued turtles will be released into a suitable water body after medical assessment,” he said.

This incident has raised serious concerns about the growing black market for turtle meat and the vulnerability of wildlife along the Odisha-Andhra border.

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