Rare sea fans, porcupine quills, deer skin worth ₹91 lakh seized from trader in Vijayawada

Wildlife officials seize rare marine animals and products worth ₹91 lakh from trader in Vijayawada raid.

In a raid, officials of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), India, and the AP Wildlife authorities on June 22 (Saturday) seized a huge quantity of dead and processed sea fans (soft corals), porcupine quills and 60 varieties of rare sea shells from a trader in the city.

They seized the marine animals, parts of animals and wildlife products from a trader, S. Srinivas Rao, who was allegedly smuggling and marketing them at different places, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF-HOFF) Chiranjiv Choudhary.

“A team led by Shekar Kumar Niraj (WJC) and DFO Vigilance M. Ravi Sankar Sharma conducted the raid on Akshayanidhi Mart in Vijayawada and seized the sea fans and other wildlife products, valued at about ₹91 lakh,” Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Shanti Priya Pandey told The Hindu.

‘’The seized marine species and other material are protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Smuggling and trading of marine animals and other products is a non-bailable offence and the accused is liable for punishment up to seven years,’‘ said PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden A.K Naik, who monitored the operation.

“We have seized 162 porcupine quills, two deer skins, five jackal tails, 989 sea fans, 200 photo frames of corals and 60 rare sea shells from the accused,” said NTR District Forest Officer (DFO) A.V.S.R.K. Appanna.

Investigation officers suspected international links in the dealings as the sea fans were rare, and found in the shallow deep waters in Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Choudhary said.

The accused was produced in a court, which remanded him in judicial custody, the officials said.