DOCTOR HELD FOR SMUGGLING RARE SERPENTS
LUDHIANA: A gang led by a doctor was arrested here smuggling rare snakes.
Acting on a tip off, the Forest and Wildlife Department of Punjab arrested five persons including a dentist.
"These snakes are rare and these men were smuggling them to Uttar Pradesh. We came to know that its venom is quite expensive. They had plans to sell it to some black magicians for almost 300,000 rupees to 400,000 rupees," said Balwinder Singh, forest official, Ludhiana.
A case has been registered against them under the Forest and Wildlife act of 1972. (PTI)
TORTOISES RESCUED ALIVE
Allahabad: Three poachers have been arrested with 60 tortoises, some still alive, in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad district, the police said.
The men were nabbed from Phulpur town while they were on their way to West Bengal to hand over the tortoises to their clients.
Police said the live tortoises were handed over to forest officials.
'The three are also involved in supplying animal skin, antlers and bird's feathers to clients in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar,' police inspector Santosh Awasthi told reporters in Allahabad.
He added: 'They have been involved in illegal wildlife trade for nearly six years. We are yet to ascertain from where they got the tortoises.' The three are from Sasaram district in Bihar.
India has banned the trade of tortoises under the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, but the huge premium and lax laws are luring poachers to the trade.
Tortoises are killed for their meat and are used in preparation of some medicines, officials said. (IANS)
MUNIAS TO FLY FREE AGAIN
Coimbatore: Following a tip off from a nature enthusiast, Forest officials rescued four Munia birds (small finch-like Asian birds) from a person and fined him for the offence.
The team deputed by Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, R.Kannan and District Forest Officer, I. Anwardeen and led by Forester S.M. Natarajan apprehended P. Murugesan (35) of Dharmapuri, currently working in Tirupur, after he was found in possession of four birds belonging to Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Preliminary enquiries revealed that a house owner in his area in Tirupur gave the birds to Murugesan asking him to either free them or sell them. Murugesan was trying his luck to make some money by selling them.
The birds were found in iron cages.
Based on his information, Forest officials have asked the officials in Tirupur to ascertain the source of these birds from the house owner to track down the primary seller of Munia birds. Murugesan was fined Rs. 1,000 for the offense. (The Hindu)
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