Shark fins seized: Fishermen being probed

DRI HAD SEIZED 3,000KG OF FINS FROM A SEWRI GODOWN AND 5,000KG OF FINS FROM A GODOWN IN GUJARAT

MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which recently seized shark fins worth ₹3.2 crore, are now probing the fishermen who are under the scanner for illegally hunting sharks for their fins.

The fishermen killed the sharks and provided the fins to the four accused nabbed by the DRI on Monday. The men were allegedly smuggling the fins to China, where it has a great demand in the illicit market.

“We have the contact numbers of the suspected fishermen, who provided shark fins to the four accused,” a senior DRI officer said.

The agency had seized 3,000 kilograms of fins from a godown at Sewri and another 5,000 kilograms from a godown in Veraval, Gujarat.

DRI officers had arrested mastermind Sarafat Ali, 39, his brother Hameed, 32, R Ahamed Asik, 34, and R Shivaraman, 28 –all of whom are exporters from Chennai– running a firm named Global Impex Trading.

DRI sources said the value of fins is around ₹45 crore in illicit international market.

DRI officers suspect that sharks have been hunted for fins on large scale in deep seas off the Gujarat and Maharashtra coast.

As per officials, sharks are caught in shark “finning” – a process in which live sharks are caught onto the fishing vessel and fins are sliced. The mutilated fish is thrown back into the sea. With no fins, sharks can’t swim and either starve to death. In 2013, the environment ministry, prohibited removal of shark fins on board of a vessel in the sea.