Malkangiri, Mar 12: The Motu Forest Department in Odisha’s Malkangiri district rescued 631 live turtles during a crackdown on alleged wildlife trafficking along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border on Thursday. Seven individuals were arrested in connection with the incident.
Officials said the operation was carried out at the Motu border after the forest department received information about the illegal trade. Two traders from Andhra Pradesh were reportedly selling the turtles to five other traders when forest officials intervened and conducted the raid.
During the operation, forest authorities seized 631 turtles being transported in 38 trays, along with a four-wheeler, two motorcycles, and six mobile phones. The rescued turtles weigh approximately two tonnes and are estimated to be worth several lakh rupees in the illegal wildlife market. The animals were taken into custody by the forest department.
Authorities suspect the accused were involved in cross-border wildlife trafficking between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Forest officials noted that this is not the first such incident in the region. On March 1, the Kalimela Forest Department had rescued 200 live turtles from a forest area near MV-62 village.
“These recurring cases highlight ongoing wildlife smuggling in border areas despite regular enforcement,” officials said. A further investigation is underway to identify additional links in the illegal trade network.
