Ramesh: Pvt Airlines used for smuggling wildlife

New Delhi: Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh is to write to his civil aviation counterpart about private airlines being used for smuggling wildlife products.
Jairam Ramesh He said he’d do this after chairing the second meeting of the special coordination committee on wildlife crime. An official told the meeting said such smuggling was predominantly through two major private airlines. Ramesh asked the official, who didn’t wished to be named, to make the complaints on record.
Taking the complaint seriously, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security asked the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to give details so that action could be taken.
Despite the heightened security at airports, there have been several instances of airlines being used to transport wildlife products outside India.
Besides, the airlines, smuggling or trafficking of wildlife articles through Foreign Post Offices (FPO) is another strategy adopted by unscrupulous traders. The booking of postal parcels in fictitious name is very easy and the content isn’t verified at the receiving counter of the post office.
It is observed that small-size items of fauna and flora are traded through the FPO — dried snakes, fishes, sea shells, dried herbal plant products and other such small articles.
The ministry is considering a suggestion to screen postal parcels and couriers and demand proof of identity. It is also planning to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, to address this.
21/01/11 Business Standard

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2011