3 held with 494 turtles

The Forest Department and Rapid Action Battalion in a joint drive arrested three people with 494 turtles of rare species at Zero Point of the city early yesterday while those were being smuggled to India.

Madinul Ahsan, divisional forest officer of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said they seized a pickup containing eight drums of the turtles with the help of Rab-6.

The turtles were being taken to Satkhira from Barisal to smuggle those to India, he said. The turtles will be released in Gazipur's Bhawal National Park.