RPF rescues 450 live frogs from Assam's Silchar Railway Station

Silchar (Assam), April 20 (IANS) In a significant effort towards wildlife protection, a team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel rescued 450 live frogs during a special drive conducted at Silchar Railway Station, officials said on Sunday.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the RPF troops from Silchar Post, under the Lumding Division of the NFR, recovered and rescued 450 live frogs, suspected to be collected from different parts of southern Assam.

The RPF troops discovered three unclaimed bags lying unattended near Platform no-1 and in the subsequent inspection, each bag was found to contain around 150 live frogs, totalling 450 frogs. Despite the RPF's efforts, no individual came forward to claim ownership of the bags and the frogs, Sharma said.

Acting promptly and responsibly, the RPF team ensured the safe transfer of the rescued frogs to the custody of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Barak Valley Wildlife Division, Silchar, for appropriate rehabilitation and further action.

The official said that this incident highlights the proactive role of the RPF in safeguarding not only the passengers and railway property but also in contributing to the protection of wildlife and the environment.

Northeast Frontier Railway remains committed to ensuring safety and upholding ecological balance through continued vigilance and cooperation with environmental authorities, the CPRO said.

Various exotic wildlife species from Myanmar are smuggled mostly through Mizoram and Manipur. On April 2, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Mizoram Forest Department officials, rescued several exotic wildlife species and apprehended three Myanmar nationals in the northeastern state’s Champhai district.

The security personnel intercepted the trafficking of exotic wildlife species and apprehended three Myanmarese while they were crossing from Myanmar into India and carrying concealed containers.

A spot check conducted in the presence of independent witnesses and forest officials led to the seizure and rescue of three Patagonian Maras, 24 African Spurred Tortoises and one Albino Burmese Python. The estimated value of the seized wildlife was approximately Rs 1.31 crore, a defence spokesman said.

The rescued wildlife species, along with the apprehended individuals, were handed over to the Forest Department in Champhai for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Earlier on several occasions, the law enforcement agencies recovered exotic wildlife animals smuggled from Myanmar. Myanmar’s Chin state is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contrabands through six Mizoram districts -- Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. Mizoram shares 510 km and 318 km unfenced border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, respectively.

--IANS

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