(IN): Four bags of live frogs recovered from railway passenger

May 30, 2007

From Our Correspondent

HOJAI, May 29 – A large number of frogs of various sizes commonly

known as `Pat Beng' were seized by the forest staff with the help of

Railway police at Hojai railway station from a passenger travelling

from Chaparmukh junction to Dimapur by the Up Inter City Express

contained in four bags on May 24 after midnight.

According to an information, one Hamidul Haque of Bardowa under

Morigaon district boarded the up Inter-City Express train at

Chaparmukh in to a coach with four bags of frogs helped by RPF

personnel. As the train moved out the station, sensing some bad smell

one of the passengers Prof D Goswami, an environmentalist and nature

lover of Hojai, out of curiosity enquired with the man and having

learnt that he was carrying frogs for sale at Dimapur where they are

in great demand, Prof Goswami informed the matter of Hojai railway

police over mobile phone. He also apprised the DFO Hojai and the DFO

immediately almost 1 AM when the train stopped at Hojai station and

the police and forest personnel raided the coach and recovered these

endangered species and arrested the person. Later, after courts'

Permission, the frogs were released in pond in a reserve forest near

Hojai. The accused confessed that in Dimapur the sale of frogs goes on

openly and he collected them from around Bardswar.

It is feared that if such illegal trade continues, it will not only

affect the eco-system but also further reduce this endangered species.

Meanwhile, the forest staff of Doboka, Lanka and Hojai has seized

three Tata Mobile engaged for carrying illegal timbers on different

occasions. While Doboka ranger Motiur Rahman and his staff recovered

22 piece teak planks from a Tata mobile coming from Karbi Anlgong to

Nagaon at Doboka, Hojai ranger JR Das with forest staff seized 39

pieces of planks carrying by a Tata Mobile at Hojai, the other one was

seized by Lanka range officer NK Nandi at Lanka carrying segun

furniture along with sawn timber recently.

In another two successful raids, huge quantity of Agarwood chips and

oil, one near Doboka bridge and the other at Lanka railgate were

recovered along with two Tavera vehicles. According to information the

Forest department of Hojai has so far seized Agarwood materials since

July last year 27.35 kg and 12.5 litres of agar oil.

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