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In a major enforcement drive, the District Fisheries Department in Bihars Katihar intercepted a major consignment of prohibited Thai Magur (African catfish) fish weighing approximately 50 quintals and valued at around Rs 5 lakh near the Routara toll plaza, detaining three persons, District Fisheries Officer (DFO) Katihar Sanad Kumar Singh said on Tuesday.
Acting on secret intelligence, a team led by Singh intercepted the vehicle while it was transporting the banned consignment from Kolkata to Purnia, he said. Detailing the operation, DFO Singh stated that his team mobilised in the early hours to intercept the shipment before it could enter local markets. "Based on secret intelligence, we received information following which I moved out between 4:30 AM and 5:00 AM and intercepted them near the toll plaza ahead of the Routara police station. It was found that they were transporting Thai Magur fish," Singh told ANI. Reiterating the blanket prohibition on the invasive species, the DFO stressed, "It is completely prohibitedits farming, consumption, and transportation are all banned under the law." Estimating the scale of the haul, Singh stated that the seized consignment weighs nearly 50 quintals with a market valuation of approximately Rs 5 lakh, adding that the entire quantity would be buried and destroyed as per statutory environmental and safety norms. Responding to queries regarding alleged administrative collusion in allowing prohibited fish to pass through state borders, the officer refuted claims of official complicity but conceded that police vigilance needs strengthening along transit checkposts. "Administrative complicity cannot be assumed because the administration and our department are constantly creating awareness among the public. Wherever such illegal consignments are detected, we immediately carry out their destruction. However, the police role needs to be slightly more proactive, and there is certainly a need for them to be more vigilant and alert," the DFO said. The departmental raid follows heightened surveillance across Bihar after recent flooding in neighbouring Nepal prompted authorities to step up food safety checks and restrict illegal fish consignments entering through interstate transit corridors. Meanwhile, the operation also triggered controversy after the detained traders claimed that they routinely operated the illicit cross-border trade by "managing" local police stations along the transit route.(ANI)
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