Around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, five kilograms of dried seahorses were found in the Naxalbari area of Siliguri during a combined operation between the Wild Life Crime Control Bureau and Ghoshpukur Forest Range.
The initial assumption was that smuggling attempts were being made from South India through Siliguri to China from the border of Nepal and Bhutan. However, it was seized by agents from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Forest Department in a joint operation in the Naxalbari region prior to being smuggled. Two big plastic bags containing seahorses were found on a man, Faiz Ahmed, who was taken into custody. According to reports, the accused lives in Islampur.
West Bengal | One Faiz Ahmed has been arrested by Ghoshpukur Range, Kurseong Forest Division and approximately 5kg of dried Sea Horse was seized from him at Naxalbari, Siliguri pic.twitter.com/DFvlRJ6FwN
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2023
It is estimated that the retrieved dried seahorses are worth several crores of rupees.
In a similar operation at Howrah Station in March of last year, 51 kg of dry seahorses were confiscated by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Crime Intelligence Branch (CIB) personnel.
The seahorse is a tiny marine creature. They are currently suffering from overfishing and habitat loss. Seahorses have long been employed in Chinese medicine. It is well known that they are used as medicine for a variety of conditions, such as impotence and respiratory issues. Despite the fact that there isn’t any research to support that. Every year, millions of seahorses from all over the world are sold to satisfy the demand for this Chinese medication. Furthermore, it is well known that some people in various locations, like Indonesia and the Philippines, have developed a trend of eating seahorses.
However, it is completely forbidden to sell them on the international market.
