KARACHI, Nov 17: Officials of the Sindh Wildlife department caught and booked two wildlife traffickers for trading in rare and endangered species on Monday but released them after recovering petty fines and confiscating the animals from their possession.

The wildlife species — 120 freshwater turtles and a falcon — would be set free in a couple of days, said an official.

SWD’s Karachi game warden Shahabuddin Burfat intercepted a taxi near Lucky Star in Saddar and arrested Azizullah, who was travelling in it with a female peregrine falcon. The trafficker had purchased the one-year-old falcon in southern Punjab and had brought the prized bird to the city by a coach. As the trapping, poaching and sale/purchase of the peregrine falcons is banned, the trafficker was booked under Sections 7, 10, 13 and 17 of the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972. The department registered FOR No. 37 / 394 (equivalent to the police’s FIR) against him.

The bird’s value on the open market is stated to be around half a million rupees. The falcon was confiscated and the trafficker was made to pay a fine of Rs10,000 before he was let off.

Peregrine falcon, a migratory bird species and resident of colder Central Asian regions, enter Pakistan in pursuit of food — like other migratory bird species —to spend winters in a relatively warm environment every year.

A few days back, the wildlife department had confiscated eight saker and peregrine falcons in two separate raids. While seven of the birds were released, the eighth one died in the custody of the wildlife department.

In another raid on Monday, SWD’s Karachi game inspector Naeem Khan arrested a wildlife trafficker, Allahdino, in Liaquatabad and recovered more than 120 freshwater turtles from his possession.

The trafficker had purchased the endangered species in Thatta and brought the consignment to Karachi to sell it in the birds and animal market. The wildlife species, including those in which trading is banned under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance, are easily available in Liaquatabad market.

The confiscated freshwater turtles belonged to the two species — Indian Flap shell turtles (Lissyms punctata) and Smith’s Terrapine (Kachuga smithii) — and were being transported in a big sack. Almost half of them had died of suffocation during the journey.

The dead and alive turtles were brought to the wildlife conservator’s office where an official said that they would be released into their habitat near some wetland in a day or two.

An FOR No 36 / 394 under Sections 7, 13, 17 of the SWPO 1972 has been registered against the trafficker and the turtles have been confiscated. Allahdino was, however, let off after he was made to pay a fine of Rs2,000 for violating the ban.

The freshwater turtles are commonly found in and around wetlands and along the Indus River.

Widespread trapping of the species has endangered its survival and the government has, therefore, imposed a complete ban on trapping of and trading in turtles.