Latest news with #TamilNaduWildlifeCrimeControlBureau
The Hindu
28-07-2025
- The Hindu
Dried seahorses seized, one held
Forest department personnel seized 14 dried seahorses, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and arrested one person in this connection at Marakkanam in Villupuram district on Sunday evening. Following directions from the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, a team led by Tindivanam Forest Range Officer P. Bhuvanesh was conducting vehicle checks at Om Sakthi Nagar in Marakkanam when they intercepted one Tameem Ansari, 47, of Koonimedu near Marakkanam, who was riding a two-wheeler. The team found 14 dried seahorses in his possession and nabbed him. The accused was produced before a local court in Tindivanam and remanded to custody. Further investigation is on.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- The Hindu
Dried seahorses and shark fins seized, two held
Forest department personnel seized 22 dried seahorses and 34 shark fins, both protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and arrested two persons in this connection at Ekkiyarkuppam near Marakkanam in Villupuram district on Tuesday. Following directions from the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and District Forest Officer K. Karthikeyani, a team led by Tindivanam Forest Range Officer P. Bhuvanesh was conducting vehicle checks at Ekkiyarkuppam when they intercepted one Mohammed Ismail, 59 of Cuddalore district who was riding a two-wheeler. The team found 22 dried seahorses in his possession and nabbed him. Based on his confession, the police conducted searches at a handicraft store belonging to his friend Ahmad in Cuddalore and seized 34 shark fins. The accused were produced before a local court in Tindivanam and remanded to custody. Further investigations are on.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- The Hindu
12 pangolins released after rescue operations in T.N.
Two pangolins, including a baby, were recently rescued from wildlife traffickers near Chennai and released back into their natural habitat by the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (TNWCCB). This action is part of the bureau's ongoing efforts to combat pangolin trafficking. Pangolin is an endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. As many as 50 individuals remanded in related operations over the past few months, Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, wrote in a post on social media platform X. Twelve pangolins have been safely released following similar operations from across Tamil Nadu, Ms. Sahu said. As the world's most trafficked mammals, pangolins face severe threats from poaching for their scales and meat, pushing them towards extinction.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- The Hindu
Forest Department arrests four for pangolin trade
Four persons were arrested near Tambaram on May 19 for attempting to sell pangolins — an endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau received a tip-off about the illegal trade and coordinated with forest officials to intercept the accused. Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals in the world, largely due to the false belief that their scales have medicinal properties. A forest department official noted that this misconception continues to fuel demand, despite no scientific basis for such claims. Authorities are now investigating the case further to trace the broader network involved in the illegal wildlife trade. Efforts are being made to strengthen monitoring and enforcement to curb such trafficking and protect vulnerable species like the pangolin from extinction, said the official.
