Major Turtle Smuggling Racket Busted in Pipili; 230 Live Turtles Seized, Two Detained

07 Nov 2026, 07:26 by Abhilasha · KalingaTV

Pipili: In a major crackdown on wildlife smuggling, the Police seized 230 live turtles from a car near the Pipili toll gate in Puri district. Two persons have been detained in connection with the incident.

According to reports, the turtles were allegedly being transported from Puri towards West Bengal when the vehicle was intercepted during a routine checking operation near the Pipili toll gate.

During the search, police recovered eight sacks containing around 230 turtles from the car, which reportedly had a West Bengal registration.

Following the seizure, Pipili Police informed the Forest Department and handed over the rescued turtles to forest officials for further action.

Police have detained two persons in connection with the alleged smuggling and launched an investigation to identify the wider trafficking network. Officials are also probing possible links to West Bengal and the source of the turtles.

Further investigation is underway to uncover the people involved in the illegal wildlife trade.