Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police have arrested four nomads and seized 1,132 star turtles in the state capital, which were brought for sale in the limits of RMC Yard Police Station, police said on Sunday September 11.

The arrested persons have been identified as Kalyan, Simhadri, Issac from Sidlaghatta Taluk in Chikkaballapura District and Rajaputra, a resident of Bagepalli.

The police said that the accused were nomads and they stayed on the fringes of forests in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and fetched star turtles from jungles. They sold them to people who in turn used them for Vaastu and manufacturing of medicines.

They have made this as their source of livelihood and their families depended on the income generated through the sale of these turtles. The accused have told the police that they had sold 100 star turtles earlier in Mumbai.

The police have taken the three accused into custody from the Goraguntepalya bus station in Bengaluru after gathering specific inputs and seized 963 star turtles. Later another accused was arrested in Chikkaballapura and more turtles were seized from his residence. Further investigation was on.

Star turtles are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and anyone found in possession of these can face criminal charges, with sentences of up to six months’ imprisonment.