Over 700 smuggled tortoises seized

Around 730 tortoises were seized from a vehicle during a raid at an area on NH31 in Bihar's Kishanganj district, forest officials said today.
On a tip-off, police and forest officials stopped a car bearing Maharashtra number plate and seized the tortoises which were being smuggled, they said.
The tortoises, both small and big in size, were kept in 11 big bags, they said.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the tortoises were being brought from Purnia and taken to Kolkata via Kishanganj when they were seized, Officer-in-charge of Dagmarua police station Anil Gupta said.
The tortoises have been handed over to forest department officials of Purnia, he said.

Tortoises are illegally traded for medical research and other purposes.