TN: Parcels containing sea horse seized in Chennai

Chennai, Apr 3: The Air Customs officials have seized 32.8 kg of dry sea horses valued Rs 4.92 lakh from four speed post parcels bound for Bangkok at the Anna International airport here.

In a press release here yesterday, Commissioner of Customs (airport) and Air cargo complex C Rajan said the officials, on specific intelligence inputs intercepted the parcels, which were about to load in the Bangkok-bound Thai Airways flight and seized it on Friday last.

While the contents in two parcels were declared as 'sarees' with the total value at Rs 1,500, the contents of the other two parcels valued at Rs 2,500 were not declared, he said adding that two parcels containing the senders addresses were declared as P Rajar, Burma Bazaar, Chennai, another parcel had the name Nainar and the fourth one was P Kumar, all Chennai.

He said preliminary verification revealed that these were fictitious addresses.

The sea horse, listed in schedule I of the Wildlife (protection) Act 1972, and banned for commercial use, are also protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to which India is a signatory, he said.

The sea horse are used in making Chinese medicines for infertility, asthama, high cholesterol, goitre, kidney disorders and various skin diseases. Also used in quarium, the sea horse are in great demand in South East Asian countries, he added.

UNI