This was the first time marine products have been seized in the northeast, forest officials said
The Assam forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) got a major success with a massive seizure of illegally smuggled marine life products, mostly sea fans, apart from parts of several endangered species from Guwahati on Wednesday.
The seizure is the biggest of its kind in the country. A joint operation was carried out on Wednesday by the WCCB and the forest department. The main seizure actually took place near Kamakhya temple on top of Nilachal hills in Guwahati.
In total, 50 kg of sea fans, 14 musk deer pod, 2 kg of broken pieces of musk pod, 43 body parts of monitor lizards, 1.5 kg of porcupine scales and spikes have been seized, the Assam Forest department said on Thursday.
Assam Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya had earlier ordered a zero-tolerance campaign against wild and aquatic life smuggling.
According to forest department sources, this is the first time that marine products have been seized in the northeast, although the coastal line is actually thousands of kilometres away from the region.
The first raid conducted at Ganeshguri Lakhi Mandir seized 600 pieces of sea fans, which is enlisted in Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. One person was arrested in this raid. Based on his interrogation, more raids were carried out and two more persons were arrested.
"We are told that this is the seizure of marine products in the country till date. Our investigation is on since this should be an organized nexus of smugglers and we need to track the entire chain. This might also be part of an international network," said Rajib Baruah, DFO Guwahati east forest division.
Sea fans look a lot like plants with colourful, forked branches but they are actually animals, just like their relatives, the corals and jellies. Sea fans are colonial animals made up of many tiny, individual animals that work together as one, officials added.