Customs seizes around 8 kg peacock feathers being smuggled to Hong Kong

New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) Around eight kg peacock feathers which were being smuggled to Hong Kong were seized at the Foreign Post Office here, the Delhi customs zone said on Wednesday.

Peacock is the national bird of India and it is protected under Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act that prohibits its hunting.

The Air Cargo Commissionerate (Export) seized 10 unregistered parcels destined to Hong Kong containing peacock feathers weighing approx 8 kg at Foreign Post Office, New Delhi, it tweeted.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already looking into the recent seizure of over 21 lakh pieces of peacock feathers by the customs department that were being smuggled to China disguised as plastic pipes.

The consignment, collectively weighing 2,565 kg and estimated to worth around Rs 5.25 crore, was seized at Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Tughlakabad in March this year.

The CBI had alleged that between September 2020 and February 2021, various consignments of peacock tail feathers through 26 shipping bills were exported by a Delhi-based company to a consignee in China by concealing the package details.

Peacock feathers are used for medicinal purpose. PTI AKV SMN