Shark fins worth Rs 8 lakh seized from Singapore-bound man

Processed shark fins worth Rs 8 lakh have been seized from a Singapore-bound passenger at the airport here, Customs authorities said on Tuesday.

Dharbar Latheef, hailing from Tiruchirappalli, was intercepted on Monday and interrogated following which a carton box with him was checked, the Customs said in a press release.

The check yielded 14 kg of marine products similar to shark fins costing Rs 8 lakh in the international market, the release said.

Later, the wildlife crime control bureau confimed the products to be processed shark fins the export of which was prohibited by a foreign trade policy, it said.

The fins are used for preparing soups in high-end restaurants abroad and considered as a symbol of prosperity by the Chinese.

The practice of using fins was leading to a decline in shark population, the release said.