By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 22, 2017: THE custom department at IGI airport, New Delhi, seized 114 kgs of organ pipes corals species from a passenger who was trying to smuggle the species into country on Monday. On 20.02.2017, while keeping surveillance on the passengers coming from Kabul, one Afghani national who had arrived from Kabul by flight no. 4Q 243 on 20.02.2017 at terminal T-3, IGI Airport New Delhi, was intercepted after he had crossed the Green Channel. On personal and baggage search, organ pipes corals species having net weight of 114 kgs were recovered from the pax and same were seized under Customs Act read with Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The items were found to be prohibited under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, as confirmed after examination by the officials of Wildlife Department. Accordingly, the pax was placed under arrest under section 104 of the Customs Act. Further investigation is under process.

In recent past similar attempts were made to smuggle in prohabited wildlife items, however IGI airport custom had prevented them successfully. As per the reports, in August, 2016 red coral was seized at IGI, New Delhi when the passenger was travelling from Dubai carrying 87.95kg of organ pipe coral in his luggage. The customs department also seized more than 15,000kg of red corals worth Rs. 1.8 crore at Inland Container Depot in Tughlaqabad in February 2016. The items were found hidden inside a container, which was being smuggled into the country from China.