The suspects could be prosecuted for breaking the Wildlife Conservation Law and the Law for the Protection, Conservation, and Recovery of Sea Turtle Populations, among others. / National System of Conservation Areas courtesy photo.
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Police arrest two suspects of stealing
more than 700 sea turtle eggs
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
On Friday, Border Police officers, in a joint operation with officials of the National System of Conservation Areas, in the area of Bocana near to Tortuguero National Park*, arrested two men, surnamed Robleto and Fernández, for stealing 710 sea turtle eggs.
According to the police report, during a routine patrol, two men were found carrying large bags. When they were "in front of the police presence, they threw the bags into the bushes and tried to flee from the place," said the police.
"The suspects could be prosecuted for breaking the Wildlife Conservation Law and the Law for the Protection, Conservation, and Recovery of Sea Turtle Populations, among others," said the officers of the National System of Conservation Area.
In the bags, the officers found the eggs, looted from the nests of the sea turtles.
The eggs were collected and sent to the Sea Turtle Conservancy Foundation in Tortuguero. "In the nursery of the organization, the eggs will be incubated, and monitored to ensure that as many hatch as possible and allow the small turtles to be born," said the officers in its report.
The suspects, Robleto and Fernández, were arrested and taken to the cells of the Prosecutor's Office of Guápiles*, in Pococí.
They were interrogated by the judicial agents and must wait until a judge orders the pre-trial measures against him.
As A.M. Costa Rica previously reported in May, four men were detained. Two are suspected of illegal hunting in the Santa Rosa National Park* in Guanacaste, and two others are suspected of looting turtle nests in Siquirres* in Limón.
In the first case, a ranger in Santa Ana National Park said the illegal hunters had two shotguns, a rifle, and several long knives. They were not carrying identification at the time of the arrest.
In the second case, the Coastguard of the Siquirres station detained two suspects of looting of turtle nests. They were carrying bags containing nearly 400 turtle eggs. The police reported that the suspects were in a boat with a 30 HP motor, and were detected by the park rangers who were doing a routine patrol. The suspects were not carrying identification at the time of arrest and there were no documents on the boat.
"They had fishing tools and 397 turtle eggs, which were recovered to be returned to their habitat," said police in its report.
The four suspects were sent to the cells of the Public Ministry where they were interviewed by the agents of the Judicial Investigation Police.
According to the park rangers, turtle eggs are trafficked mainly because restaurants of the Caribbean zone offer them as a traditional dish to customers.
The Ministry of Environment is calling on the public to make an official complaint of any suspected crime against the wildlife at phone number +506- 2233-4533.
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