Guwahati, Feb 6: In a crackdown against animal smuggling, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel recovered 235 rare species of turtles at the Kamakhya railway station in Guwahati on Saturday.

The Forest officials said that the turtles, mostly Indian flap-shell turtles, were hidden inside 10 bags and found at the busy railway station.

The officials said that on arrival of the passenger train from Indore at Kamakhya railway station, RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Bhanita Barman Talukdar along with Head Constable Narayan Das, found 10 bags in two coaches containing suspected living things.

On being checked, they found 235 rare species of turtles inside the bags.

The RPF personnel have handed over the turtles to Guwahati Forest Range under Kamrup East Division.

A case has been registered and all the 235 seized turtles have been taken to the Assam state zoo in Guwahati for treatment and rehabilitation.