Kolkata: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized exotic birds which were smuggled from Bangladesh into West Bengal, an agency statement said today.
Acting on a specific input, DRI officials intercepted a vehicle at a place along Kalyani Expressway near here and found three red and blue macaws, three eclectus parrots, eight pygmy falcons and seven white ducks, it said.
The birds were found badly crammed up in plastic bags kept in the boot of the car, the statement said.
These birds were illegally brought into the country from Bangladesh through Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district, it said.
The probe agency said it immediately contacted the office of the principal chief conservator of forests, West Bengal and also the director of Alipore zoo, Kolkata.
The birds were handed over by the DRI to the zoo. In March this year, the agency had seized 214 Indian star tortoise in Kolkata.
Less than a month back, two hollock gibbons, an endangered species under the Wild life Protection Act, 1972 and two palm civets, another endangered species, along with a variety of exotic birds, which had been smuggled into the country from Bangladesh seized by the DRI. “There is an urgent need to step up the fight against wild life crime, which has environmental, social and economic impact and a concerted effort is needed by all the law enforcement agencies in combating the same,” the agency said.
