Khurdha, Feb 23: Forest department officials have seized over 7,000 turtles from a vehicle in Odisha's Khurda district today. The turtles were being illegally transported in a mini-truck with a West Bengal registration number.
The officials intercepted the vehicle near the Godipada toll gate on National Highway-16 and discovered the turtles, which were packed into around 400 trays. Each tray contained at least 20 turtles, and the animals were kept on ice inside the trays.
The Forest Department has launched an investigation into the incident and detained the vehicle's driver for questioning.
"We are questioning the driver to find out who are behind the trade of turtles. Action will be taken against the persons involved in the illegal trade," said an official.
This seizure follows a similar case in October 2024, when the Forest Department had seized approximately 500 live freshwater turtles from a vehicle in the Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri district. These turtles were being trafficked from Andhra Pradesh to the MV-79 area.
