Pick, click and sell: How animals get trapped in illegal trade chain

PROBE SHOWS Pictures of stolen rare species are put up online to lure buyers, students handle delivery

While turtles are the most commonly smuggled species from Mumbai, law enforcers have seized unusual cargo like windowpane oysters – valued for their shells, Indian muntjac or barking deer, seahorses, pangolins and common kestrels. Animal parts that were seized by law enforcers include elephant and walrus ivory, tiger skin, deer antlers, and snake venom.

“Turtle trade is the major issue in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as they are mostly being kept as pets at home. Our investigation has revealed that apart from the nexus of those trading these species, college students are being driven into such activities for quick money,” said M Maranko, regional deputy director, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).

Describing the turtle trade, Maranko said that the animals are bought for ₹800 to ₹900 for a pair from wholesalers or picked up directly from their habitat.

“Their pictures are clicked and they are sold online on various websites at ₹3,800 to ₹4,000 for a pair. People are willing to pay for these species with college students delivering them.”

To curb the illegal trade, experts said that the issue needs to be tackled at the national level. Dr Saket Badola, head of TRAFFIC India, said that Kolkata was also a major centre for this clandestine trade.

“Kolkata and Chennai are both hubs for this illicit trade wherein exotic species are sourced, stored and sent to South-East Asian countries while similar operations take places on the west coast from Mumbai for destinations such as Europe and the Gulf countries,” he said.

Ravi Singh, secretary general and CEO of World Wildlife Fund (WWF-India), said, “Not only Mumbai but all other major cities, especially with ports, such

MUMBAI:

Found: In Kurnool and Chittoor districts, Andhra Pradesh

Price at source:

a pair

Price at destination:

and above (on the international market) Status: Protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (lower penalties for offences)

MAJOR CASES OF TURTLE TRADE July 15, 2017:

WCCB arrested two persons for smuggling 200 star tortoises in Navi Mumbai

Mumbai Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers intercepted two men with United Arab Emirates (UAE) passports

October 14, 2016:

as Kolkata and Chennai, have all become illicit wildlife trade hubs due to faster dissemination of information and supply of such articles through the use of social media. The problem has to be addressed on a pan-India level.”

In November last year, a special intelligence network was set up by WCCB to improve enforcement in such cases where various 14 state agencies Found: Along the Ganga river basin

Price at source:

for a pair Price at destination:

for a pair (on the international market)

Status: Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (highest penalties for offences)

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carrying 199 endangered tortoises and turtles in four checked-in bags. Both persons were arrested, later deported.

August 13, 2015:

WCCB and the anti-poaching unit of the forest department, Thane, seized would work in tandem to flag off illicit wildlife trade issues.

“Inter-agency exchange of information will help share details of wildlife cases, criminal profiles of habitual offenders so that they can be updated within the centralised database of WCCB,” said Maranko. “The legal status of wild animals used during trade will soon be displayed on public display boards at tourist spots in the state.”

TURTLES SPECIES TRADED AND SEIZED ALONG MMR BETWEEN 2012 AND 2017

Eastern hill terrapin (Melanochelys tricarinata) Spotted black terrapin or Black pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii)

Assam roofed turtle

(Kachuga sylhetensis)

Indian eyed turtle (Morenia petersi)

Indian tent turtle (Pangshura tentoria)

Brown roofed turtle (Kachuga smithii)

Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans)

Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta)

Leith's softshell turtle (Nilssonia leithii) 100 Indian star tortoises near Kurla station

April 16, 2015

(biggest heist): 400 Spotted Black Terrapin/Pond turtles recovered by the customs from the CSIA. Four people were arrested.

There is a decline in the trade over the past two years because of better vigilance.

“There have been no seizures from airports or port areas, indicating a considerable decline in international trade,” added Maranko.

There has also been stricter enforcement at the local level.In April 2017, after a Bombay high court order, the Mumbai police shut down 21 pet shops at Crawford

UNIQUE WILDLIFE SPECIMENS IN TRADE ACROSS INDIA’S WEST COAST

Ghumat – local musical instrument made out of monitor lizard’s

(Varanus) skin

Pipe fishes & seahorses

Indian marsh crocodile babies Walrus ivory

Tiger, leopard whiskers

Indian Palm five-striped squirrel

Windowpane oyster (Capiz Shell)

Barking deer fawn

Common Kestrel – a bird from the falcon family

Snake venom vials – 75ml to 250ml

According to the WCCB, there are four major destinations for the exotic species trade from Mumbai — Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia but the source to Mumbai for these species includes the gulf countries along with the four locations. Market, Mumbai’s pet trade hub, that were selling species protected by the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

“With the help of different state departments, there are only a few shops open at Crawford now working as informants for WCCB. As a result, those involved in the trade are extremely vigilant as we are closely monitoring them,” said Maranko.