DRI recovers gibbons, civets, exotic foreign origin birds in WB

Acting on a specific input that Gibbons and Civets, each in a pair (two in numbers) and more than 40 exotic and  very colorful birds, all of foreign origin, have been smuggled into India from Bangladesh through Indo-Bangla border at North 24 Parganas and are being transported through Basanti Highway in a Blue coloured Maruti Swift Dezire car, the DRI sleuths immediately swung into action.

The vehicle carrying the endangered wild life started from Basirhat area at about 7.30 am on Thursday for delivery at Kolkata.

The DRI sleuths identified and intercepted the car near Bhojerhat area on Basanti Highway with two occupants including the driver.

Three cages full of wild animals and birds were found inside the intercepted car.

A top DRI official said that, on examination, one cage with two partitions was found to contain  two Hollock Gibbons (Endangered species under Schedule 1 of the Wild life Protection Act, 1972) on one side and two Palm Civets (Endangered species under Schedule II of the Wild life Protection Act, 1972) were found on the other side. They were badly crammed up.

A second cage containing 15 colorful Rosella Birds (exotic in nature) and  a third cage containing 27 exotic birds like Nandin Conure-2 pcs, Peach Fronted Conure-2 pcs, Grass Parakeets- 17 pcs, Maroon Tailed Conure-4 pcs were recovered. Conure birds  are like Parakeets – they are found in Americas as also in Australia.

They are also called as clowns of the Parrot World due their constant attention seeking behavior.

Rosella birds, very colorful, are found in Australia.

DRI immediately contacted the office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, West Bengal as also the officials of Wild Life Crime Control Bureau, Kolkata.

Accordingly, a rescue team for Wild Life and a team from the Kolkata Zoo reached the DRI office to whom the Wild Life was handed over.

Till their arrival, the DRI sleuths took the role of caretakers of Wild life and even fed the animals and birds with water and some fruits.

Sections 48 and 49 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 prohibits trade or commerce in Wild Animals or Animal Articles or Trophies.

Further, illegal import of wild life which is in violation of the Wild Life Protection Act automatically becomes a violation of the Customs Act by virtue  of Section 111(d) of the Customs Act. 

All the wild life species of foreign origin have consequently been seized under the provisions of Customs Act read with Wild Life protection Act, 1972.
Such offenses are punishable under Section 135 of the Customs Act as also under Section 51 of the WPA.

The accused could be awarded a sentence of upto seven years of imprisonment in respect of trading in wild life listed in Schedule I of the WPA. Consequently, the two persons have been  arrested in this case in terms of Section 104 of the Customs Act and further investigation is under progress.

Last week only,  DRI  seized 24 pieces of ivory totally weighing 5.838 Kgs from Guwahati. In March this year DRI  made  a seizure of 214 numbers of Indian star tortoise at Kolkata.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)