Home / Crime and Justice / Viral Reel Leads to Arrest of Turtle Smugglers
Viral Reel Leads to Arrest of Turtle Smugglers
14 Aug
Summary
- An Instagram reel comment sparked a wildlife crime investigation.
- Eight protected turtles were recovered from fish aquarium shops.
- Two shop owners were arrested and sent to jail for illegal possession.
An alleged wildlife crime involving protected turtles was exposed in Karnal, Haryana, thanks to a viral Instagram reel. Sahil Sharma, a Punjab-based environmentalist, acted on a tip received in the comments section of his video.
Sharma traveled to Karnal to verify the information, leading to the discovery of eight protected turtles at the shops of Rajan and Pratul Das. These turtles belonged to two species: Indian Black Spotted Pond Turtles and Indian Tent Turtles.
An FIR was registered on Thursday, and the accused were arrested by Karnal police. They were produced in court on Friday and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The turtles have since been released into their natural habitat, highlighting the role of social media and vigilant citizens in combating wildlife crime.
