Kendrapara, Sept. 23: Forest officials have arrested one person from here for his bid to transport meat of a freshwater turtle to Calcutta.

“Nitai Bera, a local settler, was arrested yesterday near Jamboo ferry ghat with a freshwater turtle sliced into pieces. The accused used to dispatch the riverine turtle meat to Calcutta. He confessed to the crime. Today, Bera was forwarded to jail under the Wildlife Protection Act,” said forest range officer Bijoy Kumar Parida.

Turtles are being caught alive and smuggled out mostly to urban places of the state and Calcutta.

“The forest department will soon launch an awareness drive on conservation of freshwater turtles in villages coming under Mahakalpada and Jamboo forest range. The local settlers will be made aware that catching alive or killing a freshwater turtle is a punishable offence,” said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division.

The department has intensified vigil on curbing poaching in the forests. The forest department has launched awareness on conservation of wildlife.

Cash incentive scheme had been introduced for residents of the sanctuary-side villages for information provided to forest personnel on wildlife poaching, said Mahapatra.