Port Blair, Dec. 11: Swift action of A&N Police has resulted in arrest of 04 persons and busted the racket of Smugglers of Wildlife Items with the seizure of Scheduled – I Species (i) 08 pieces of King Shells, (ii) 05 pieces of Pineapple Shell, (iii) 140 pieces of Nautilus + 5 Kgs, (iv) 100 pieces Clam shell small size, (v) 28 pair clam shell medium size and (vi) 05 pieces clam shell big size and Scheduled – IV Species (i) Trochus – 922 Kgs, (ii) Panja Shells – 220 Kgs and (iii) Turbo Shells – 120 Kgs (Total 1262 Kgs)

On an information of Special Branch (CID) about illegal possession / trading of banned species of wildlife schedule – I & IV items at Industrial Estate, Dollygunj, Police team comprising of SI Girish Kumar, SHO PS CCS alongwith S.I Ranga Raj, S.I Mohd. Sameer, HC/2055 Yamant Rao, PC/2088 K.J. Raffi, PC/54 Dilleshwar Rao and PC/2555 (Dri.) Nasir Ahmed and staff of Special Branch Comprising of SI Sanjay Kumar, HC/980 Sasi, HC/1349 Thimmi Raj, HC/573 R. Gunasekaran and PC/848 Vinod Kumar Pillai rushed to Industrial Estate, Dollygunj and conducted four successive raids at the following factories and recovered (i) 24 Kgs Raw & finished Trochus, (ii) 05 Kgs Nautilus, (iii) 120 Kgs raw Turbo Shell and (iv) 31 Kgs finished Trochus from the possession of Shri Khurshid Alam S/o Late Abdul Wahab (54 yrs) Proprietors Ocean Shell Craft R/o Phongy Choung, who failed to produce any valid document / license for possessing schedule I & IV species. Accordingly, at 1310 hrs, above recovered items were seized under section 51/52 Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and accused Khurshid Alam was arrested on the spot after observing all codal formalities. 

The Police team also recovered (i) 43 Kgs raw Trochus, (ii) 20 Kgs finished Trochus and (iii) 10 Kgs raw Panja Shell from the possession of Shri K. Shanmugam S/o Late Kartha Pandian (45 yrs), Proprietor Karnan Industries and Shell Craft, who also failed to produce any valid license as such the above recovered quantities were seized under 51/52 Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 at 1420 and Mr. K. Shanmugam of  “Karan Industries and Shell Craft” was arrested on the spot after observing all codal formalities.

Further (i) 08 pieces of King Shell, (ii) 50 pieces of Pineapple Shell, (iii) 140 pieces of Nautilus, (iv) 100 pieces Clam Shell small size, (v) 28 pair clam shell medium size, (vi) 05 pieces clam shell big size, (vii) 07 bags containing 210 Kgs Panja Shell, (viii) 18 bags containing 414 Kgs raw Trochus and (ix) 09 bags containing 153 Kgs finished Trochus from the possession of Shri R. Thavasinathan S/o Rathinam (47 yrs) Proprietor, Meena Sea Shell Products R/o Dollygunj was seized, who also failed to produce any valid license, as such, all the recovered quantities were seized under section 51/52 Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 at 1600 hrs. The accused Shri R. Thavasinathan was arrested on the spot after observing all codal formalities. 

Apart from the above, the factory of “Shabnam Shell Craft” was also raided and 08 bags containing 237 Kgs of Trochus from the possession of Shri Mohd. Subham S/o Late Ali Bux (42 yrs) owner Shabnam Shell Craft R/o Round Basti who was found in possession of schedule IV species without having any license. As such, all the recovered quantities were seized under section 51/52 Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 at 1655 hrs in presence of independent witnesses and he was arrested on the spot after observing all codal formalities and brought them to PS CCS. 

Later, at 2100 hrs, all accused persons along with all seized properties were handed over to the forest officials for taking further action.