One of the seized falcons
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday arrested a Mumbai-based wildlife smuggler in Lucknow and seized seven rare falcons, with an estimated international market value of approximately Rs 14 crore. The accused, identified as Firoz Musarrat Khan (55) of Byculla in Mumbai, was arrested from a house in Iradat Nagar under the Madiaon police station limits during a joint operation by the STF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). A case has been registered against the accused at Madiaon police station under Sections 9, 39, 49, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
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The STF said the seized falcons belong to a protected species covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides the highest level of legal protection to endangered and rare wildlife species in India.
The consignment was intended for supply to foreign destinations, including Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain,” said additional SP, STF, Avanishwar Srivastava. “During questioning, Khan stated that he was part of an interstate trafficking syndicate involved in procuring protected and prohibited bird species from different parts of Uttar Pradesh. The gang sourced the birds from forest areas in Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur before routing them through Mumbai for international trafficking.