Peacock feather smuggling racket busted

The peacock tail feathers were reportedly being smuggled from India to China.

Mumbai: : In a major anti-smuggling operation and crackdown on wildlife trade, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 28 lakh peacock tail feathers which were being smuggled from India to China through the Nhava Sheva port located across the Mumbai harbour.

The peacock tail feathers consignment was valued at Rs. 2.01 crore, DRI officials said.

The exporter admitted his involvement in the illicit export and has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody by a magistrate’s court.

The peacock feathers were being smuggled by means of concealment and misdeclaration in an export cargo declared as “doormats made up of coir” through Nhava Sheva port.

However, a detailed examination of the consignment was conducted, and approximately 28 lakh peacock tail feathers and 16,000 peacock feather stems were recovered.

The seizure was made under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, as their export is prohibited as per Schedule 2 of the Export Policy of ITC (HS), 2018, notified by DGFT read with Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

“Such seizure shows DRI’s resolve towards its anti-smuggling mandate and taking exemplary actions against the syndicates involved in such nefarious activities. It also shows DRI’s commitment to the protection of the environment and wildlife,” DRI officials said on Thursday.