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3 arrested while transporting turtle flesh and live turtles
View(s):Three people caught attempting to transport freshly slaughtered turtle meat in a canoe from an islet off Kalpitiya, were taken into custody yesterday, police said.
The men were picked up from Rosa Padua Island along with 12 kg of fresh turtle meat to be sold to restaurants and select customers in the area. Several live turtles were also recovered during the raid, police said.
Some of the live turtles found in the canoe. Pic by Padma Kumari Kankanamge
According to police, the suspects had been in this operation for some time.
Hundreds of turtles are found in the Kalpitiya coastal area during this time of the year, where they come ashore to lay eggs.
Kalpitiya police are conducting further investigations. It was only last week that a special police squad from Walana raided a slaughterhouse in Negombo and arrested a man with several turtles made ready for slaughter.
Investigators later found that the suspect, with apparent backing from regional officials, sold the meat to select eating outlets and other individuals.
A kilogram of turtle meat sells at Rs. 1,500. (LB)