Four TN labourers held, 21 turtles recovered

Kannur, July 22 (UNI) Forest officials arrested four labourers from Tamil Nadu and recovered 21 Indian softshell turtles, an endangered species, at Mattul in the district.

Forest Range Officer A P Manoj told UNI that hunting of the endagered species was punsihable under Section (I) of the Wild Animal Protection Act.

According to the Act the offenders could be punished with three years imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 10,000.

The forest officials arrested the four people yesterday based on a complaint from the local people and produced before the Payyannur Judicial First Class Magisrate, which later remanded them to 14 days police custody.

The arrested were identified as Murugan (27) and his brother Pandi, hailing from Tirupur and Arumugham (30) and S Mani (22) of Salem, he said.

Of the 21 turtles recovered from them, only eight were found alive, he said, adding that the live turtles would be released in the nearby mangroves.

UNI