Forest dept seizes 30 tonnes of capiz shells in a chase from Pen to Panvel

NAVI MUMBAI: The forest department officials on Monday seized capiz sea shells stacked in gunny bags in the vehicles and booked two men in a chase from Pen to Panvel region in Raigad district.

These flat, semi-transparent shells with a pearlescent appearance are found across sea shores in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Capiz shells are being used for decorative items like chandeliers and lampshades and other shell inlays and also in oil mining rigs, especially in the Gulf, where they are much in demand. These shells could be illegally exported for crores of Rupees.

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, regulates their trade under Schedule IV. This means that they can be harvested from sea coasts and used in handicrafts etc., but in limited quantities.

The seizure came following a tipoff received by the forest department. Assistant conservator forest Sanjay Waghmode led a team of range officers Nathuram Kokre from Uran, Kuldeep Patkar from Pen and Dnyaneshwar Sonawane from Panvel who followed two vehicles and managed to intercept them.

According to Ashish Thakre, divisional forest officer, Raigad, “The contraband trade is regulated under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 listed in Schedule IV (Old Act).”

Thakre added, “Two persons have been booked in the case and further investigations are on to get details of the racket, on where they were sourced from and where they were headed.”

Assistant conservator of forest Waghmode said, “The contraband destination we found was a godown in Taloja. We found the shells in two vehicles that we chased. They were stacked in gunny bags. There seems to be a racket in operation.”

He added, “We have seized over 30 tonnes of capiz shells. The investigation is in a preliminary stage now.” In 2017, 80 MT of capiz sea shells had been seized from a unit in Ulwe.