Bid to smuggle processed shark fins foiled at city airport

Processed shark fins worth Rs 4.50 lakh were seized from a Singapore-bound passenger at the Chennai airport on Monday, Customs authorities said.

Acting on specific information that some marine products were likely to be smuggled out of India, the sleuths intercepted the 31-year-old passenger bound for Singapore after growing suspicious of his movement, a press release said.

During interrogation, the pasenger was evasive in his reply, so the officers examined his checked-in baggage and recovered 8 kg of the processed shark fins.

As the export of shark fins was prohibited as per the Foreign Trade Policy, the shark fins worth Rs 4.50 lakh were seized under relevant provisions of Customs Act, the release said.

Shark fin soup are an expensive delicacy and considered as a symbol of prosperity in China. An investigation was on, the release added.