Shark fins worth Rs 8 lakh seized from passenger at city airport

Based on an intelligence that some marine products are likely to be smuggled to Singapore, a team of officials from the Air Intelligence Unit maintained vigil at the departure, a press release from the Customs department said.

On suspicion, the officials intercepted Dharbar Latheef (60), who was proceeding towards the security check with a big carton. When questioned, he was nervous and evasive in his replies and said the box contained handmade glass products. On suspicion, officials opened the box and found 14 kg of marine products.

Officials from Wild Life Crime Control Bureau checked them and said they were shark fins, and probably belonged to a species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  As the export of shark fins is prohibited, Customs officials seized the fins.

These are used to prepare shark fin soup, an expensive delicacy served in high-end restaurants abroad. In China, it is not only believed to give health benefits but also a sign of prosperity, a statement from the Customs department said. The demand for fins is a cause of collapse of shark populations around the world, the release added.