The following content is collected from public information and does not represent the views of WCS-India.
We collected and collated 57 illegal wildlife trade related data-points from various regions across India using open-source information. The highest number of wildlife seizure incidents were reported from Tamil Nadu (13), Odisha (8), and Assam (5). Some of the reported wildlife species included Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles (Indian Roofed Turtle, Tricarinate Hill Turtle, Indian Tent Turtle, Indian Star Tortoise), Elephant (Asian Elephant), Big Cats (Leopard), Non-natives (Siamang, Sunda Flying Lemur, Birds of Paradise), and Marine (Seahorse, Corals, Sea cucumbers) species.
Four illegal wildlife trade incidents were reported from countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Singapore. Some of the commonly reported wildlife species in seizures were Asian Elephant, One-horned Rhino, Snow Leopard, Indian Star Tortoise and various reptile species.
Important Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) news from India and around:
1. Incidents involving the seizure of pangolin parts/products:
- The Forest Department seized 2 kg pangolin scales from a dhaba at Daranggiri in Assam’s Goalpara district. Four individuals from Meghalaya were arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
- The Special Task Force (STF), Koraput Forest Division, and Koraput Police seized a live pangolin from Nandapur-Bodigoan road, Odisha. Three individuals were arrested. Link1
Photo Credit: Odisha Bytes
- In a multiple species seizure case, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in collaboration with the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), seized wildlife products, including Himalayan musk deer pods, soft corals (Gorgonia species), sea shells, derivatives of red corals, pangolin scales rings, and body parts of monitor lizard, from a gems store in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Eight individuals were arrested in this connection. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: The New Indian Express
2. Incidents involving the seizure of marine species:
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 6,626 seahorses at Terminal-1, Kempegowda International Airport. Three individuals from Tamil Nadu were arrested. The suspects were enroute to Singapore via Mumbai on an Indigo flight. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: L. Balachandar | The Hindu
- The Forest Department seized 112 sea cucumbers from the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. One individual was arrested. The Forest Department was told that the sea cucumbers were found on the shore at Manthiripattinam. Link1
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs seized 46.680 kg of shark fins at Tiruchirappalli International Airport. Two individuals were arrested. The suspects were bound for Singapore via Air India Express flight. The shark fins were being smuggled along with foreign currencies including Euros and Singapore dollars. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: The Hindu
- The Indian Coast Guard seized 450 kg of sea cucumbers from a suspicious boat with gunny bags near Mandapam in the Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu. Link1 Link2 Link3
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Photo Credit: Times Of India
Other incidents involving seizure of marine species:
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia, Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
3. Incidents involving seizure of native/non-native tortoise and freshwater turtle species:
- Police seized 100 turtle species transported in bags on an e-rickshaw from Amethi bypass, Uttar Pradesh. Six individuals were arrested. The suspects had collected the turtles from Sultanpur and were planning to smuggle them to Kolkata by Punjab mail train from Amethi Railway station. Link1
- Customs authorities seized 2569 red-eared slider turtles at Kolkata airport from the checked-in baggage of a passenger who arrived from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Link1
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia, Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes
- In a multiple species' seizure case, Customs officials seized non-native wildlife species including siamang gibbon monkey, two Sunda flying lemurs, nine four eyed-turtles, five Indochinese box turtles, two green-tree pythons, one white-lipped python, a red-foot tortoise and a keeled-box turtle concealed inside carton boxes at Chennai international airport. One person was arrested who had arrived from Bangkok by Thai Air Asia (FD 153). Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4
Photo Credit: India Today
- In connection with the previous case, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) along with Forest officials seized 169 live Indian-roofed turtles, 16 dead Indian-roofed turtles, 68 tricarinate hill turtles, 383 star tortoises, seven dead star tortoises, three black pond turtles and a royal ball python from a house at Lakshmipuram in Kolathur, Tamil Nadu. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia, Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
- Custom officials seized 778 Indian star tortoises wrapped in diapers in check-in luggage at Chennai International Airport. Three individuals were arrested who were bound to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5 Link6
Photo Credit: The New Indian Express
- 58 Indian Star Tortoises were seized at Changi Airport, Singapore. The suspect was travelling from India to Jakarta, Indonesia. They were caught during their transit at Changi Airport Terminal 2. Link1
Other incidents involving the seizure of native tortoise and freshwater turtle species:
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia, Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
4. Customs officials seized two dead, and five live birds of paradise concealed in closed suitcases at Mumbai international airport. Five individuals were arrested who had arrived from Bangkok. Link1 Link2
5. The Border Security Force (BSF) seized a dead monkey and a dead bear cub species concealed inside two sacks at the international border of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. The suspects were of Bangladesh origin, one individual was arrested while two absconded. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: the bengal
6. Incidents involving seizure of leopard parts/products:
- A Special Task Force (STF) seized two leopard skins in the Devidhura Forest Range of Champawat district, Uttarakhand. An individual intending to sell the skins to a buyer outside Uttarakhand was arrested. The media article suggests, the buyer was likely from Nepal, and they intended to smuggle the skins to China. The leopards were killed around two years ago. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: the pioneer
- The Forest Department seized a leopard skin from Rathapada Chhack area near Duburi-Naranpur road, Jajpur district, Odisha. An individual was arrested. Link1 Link2
- The Police seized a leopard skin near Kurla West, Mumbai Suburban district. An individual was arrested. Link1
- The Forest Department seized a leopard skin in Sonari, East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. Three individuals were arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
- The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and City Forest Division seized a leopard skin from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Link1
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia, Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
Other incidents involving seizure of leopard parts/products:
7. In six separate incidents, 13 elephant tusks (raw ivory) were seized from the states of Tamil Nadu (2), Madhya Pradesh (1), Karnataka (1), Bihar (1) and Gujarat (1). Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5 Link6
Photo Credit: Times Of India
Other incidents involving seizure of elephant parts/products:
Other IWT news:
- Man caught in Bengaluru for illegal jackal skin trade | The Indian Express
- Forest department seizes 17 antler trophies near Mumbai | mid-day
- SL agarwood, oil worth Rs 50L seized in Chennai airport, two arrested | The New Indian Express
- Poacher held with Rhino horn in Nagaon | Times of India
- 2 held in one week for smuggling 285 pairs of Monitor Lizard parts | Times of India
- 5 held for poaching pregnent Deer | Times of India
- Assam: 4 Rhino poachers arrested with 1 Rhino horn | Northeast Live
- Erode couple arrested for possessing baby bonnet macaque in Coimbatore | The Hindu
- Two held for smuggling Sandalwood to Andhra Pradesh | Times of India
- Forest Department Cracks Down on Illegal Deer Hunting in Nagarahole | Hindustan Times
- Youth held for selling parrots of rare species | Orissa Post
- Raids at saw mill, machines & timber seized | The Statesman
- Assam forest department cracks down on illegal timber smuggling | India Today NE
- 33 red sanders logs seized, eight accused from Tamil Nadu held in Annamayya and Tirupati districts | The Hindu
- Assam Police Seize 5 Gecko Lizards in Barpeta, Smuggler Arrested | Pratidin Time
- A man was found guilty of recklessly keeping a wild monkey as a pet | Wildlife Welfare Association
- Wildlife Welfare Association team, in collaboration with local Thane Gramin Police and Thane Range Forest department, intercepted a tourist bus carrying illegally trafficked Birds from Malegaon | Wildlife Welfare Association
- Pakistan: Man arrested in Lahore for selling Snow Leopard skin | ANI
- Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) of Sri Lanka arrested two foreign nationals for collecting live specimens of reptiles and amphibians | LinkedIn