The Forest Department has recovered 17 live turtles from an engine-driven steel trawler in a raid in Galachipa, Patuakhali. A man named Rezaul Mridha was detained. The raid took place around 2pm on Wednesday, 26 August, in the Pan Bazar area next to the ferry ghat in ward 1 of Galachipa municipality.

According to the Forest Department, a team led by Galachipa Range Officer Nayan Mistri carried out the raid on a tip-off. As the team searched the trawler, Rezaul Mridha, of Marajangi village in Rangabali upazila, tried to escape with jute sacks and was caught.

The turtles recovered weighed about 10kg in total and had a market value of around Tk 12,000, by the Forest Department's estimate. The department said Rezaul admitted during initial questioning that he was transporting them for sale.

Galachipa police station officer-in-charge Md Imtiaz Ahmed said a case had been filed against Rezaul Mridha under section 10/34(kha) of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012. He said the 17 turtles were later released into the river.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.