New Delhi: Yet another meticulously planned sting-operation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Japan Wildlife Conservation Society (JWCS), led to the recovery of 13 shahtoosh shawls from two different traders in south Delhi. This follows the recent seizure of eight shahtoosh shawls by the CBI from a south Delhi company called Naqash Arts on the 18 November.

In a span of four days, the CBI has recovered 21 shawls from various locations in south Delhi and arrested five persons. The latest seizure took place at a shopping arcade of hotel Marriot Welcome in Saket on 21st November, where a father and a son duo were arrested. Eight shahtoosh shawls were recovered from their possession. Interrogations of the accused have led to the recovery of five more shahtoosh shawls from Lajpat Nagar area of south Delhi. The accused in the case were arrested.

These successive seizures of shahtoosh shawls in the Capital are a grim reminder that the shawls are still in demand in the thriving clandestine markets in India and abroad. Earlier, interrogation of the proprietor of Naqash Arts by the CBI team revealed that the company had exported several shahtoosh shawls to Switzerland earlier this year.

Several incriminating documents were recovered from the company’s safe, which points to the fact that the company had connections in Bahrain and Qutar for shahtoosh sale. The father and son duo that runs the company will now face trial in a special CBI court.

A survey on the internet by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) showed that the shahtoosh trade was active in the net. Strict enforcement at airports resulted in a considerable reduction in the trade but the internet has made up for it.

In a recent development pertaining to a shahtoosh case Ashok Kumar Vs State of J & K and others, the Supreme Court of India yesterday ordered an immediate ban on the production of shahtoosh in Kashmir. The petitioner had appealed to the court that despite a ban on shahtoosh, weavers in Kashmir are still engaged in shahtoosh weaving and the trade continues. The court ordered the wildlife officials of the J & K government, who were summoned for the hearing to submit an action-taken report within four weeks.

Ashok Kumar, Vice Chairman of WTI who fought for more than a decade on the issue and subsequently a case was filed in 2003 said, “The battle which lasted for more than a decade has reached the final stage. Enforcement of the order will still be a challenge, which we are determined to be engaged in.”

However, with the success from the recent sting-operations in the Capital, enforcement agencies and conservationists are hopeful that the day is not far when the culprits illegally dealing in the shahtoosh trade would be brought to book. They agree that the enforcement officials and NGOs chasing wildlife traders were more vigilant than in the past, which resulted in regular seizures. This would add momentum in the pursuit of this illegal trade.

Shahtoosh shawls are made from the endangered high altitude mammal Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), which is only found in some areas of the Tibetan plateau today. The animal is also popularly known as chiru and is accorded highest protection in India, Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) at the United Nation (UN) also prohibits sale and purchase of products made from the species.

Pix credit: WTI archives