Mumbai: DRI seizes 28 lakh Peacock tail feathers worth Rs 2.01 crore at Nhava Sheva Port

The seized consignment. Pic/DRI sources

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday said that it has seized 28 lakh Peacock tail feathers worth around Rs 2.01 crore at Nhava Sheva Port in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai.

The DRI said, "In an anti-smuggling operation, DRI Mumbai Zonal Unit has seized approx. 28 lakh Peacock tail feathers which were being smuggled from India to China, by means of concealment and misdeclaration in an export cargo declared as "Door Mat made up of coir" through Nhava Sheva port."

It said that in pursuance of the information, a detailed examination of the consignment was conducted, and approx. 28 lakh Peacock tail feathers and 16000 Peacock feather stems were recovered.

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The Peacock tail feathers valued at Rs. 2.01 crore (approx.) were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962 as their export is prohibited as per Schedule 2 of the Export Policy of ITC (HS), 2018 notified by DGFT read with Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the DRI said.

The exporter admitted his involvement in the illicit export and has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody a court, it said.

Further investigation are underway, an official said.