Delhi: In one of the biggest haul of shahtoosh shawls in recent history, a CBI team (Central Bureau of Investigation) seized 57 shahtoosh shawls Monday from three different traders from an upmarket hotel in south Delhi.

All three accused, Rashid Khan, Mushtaq and Bisharat were arrested from the hotel premises while they were trying to sell the shawls to a customer. A car of one of the accused was also seized.

The shahtoosh shawls were brought from Kashmir to Delhi by these traders for selling them in the international markets.

They had covertly advertised the products on the internet to attract international buyers.

“The traders are now being interrogated by CBI to find out their links.” Ashok Kumar, Vice Chairman of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said. CBI, Wildlife Crime Bureau of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Sky News-UK and WTI have been working together to control this trade.

Despite an international ban on shahtoosh and repeated seizures of shahtoosh shawls in UK, US, Hong Kong, Nepal and Dubai, the trade still continues in the Kashmir valley where the government is turning a blind eye to this flourishing business.

“The seizure shows that shahtoosh wool still reaches Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir though enhanced enforcement in Tibet and trade routes was believed to have resulted in a lower volume of shahtoosh trade,” said Kumar.