What can Customs do when wild animals land up as imported cargo?
In spite of all the bad things said about him, it must be admitted that a Customs officer’s life is difficult to say the least. What does he do when wild animals are imported against the law? Seize them; fine but what to do after seizure. We carried a story recently of sea lions being imported by a Russian Circus (See it in our Archive). The Customs did everything possible, including a few acrobatics in protecting the law but some of them will be in trouble and may be a few are already suspended or transferred. The reason for action against junior officers must be the incompetence of the big bosses of the Board in explaining the situation to activist Maneka Gandhi. DDT learns that no senior officer of the Board was willing to discuss with Ms Maneka Gandhi and she was, like a harried assessee made to go from pillar to post. Quite a serious matter; Somebody has to be punished – pick up a couple of junior officers and that exactly is being done. And Board has an answer to every crisis. Issue a circular and sure enough Board has come out with a circular in this case too. The Board letter issued yesterday wants Chief Commissioners and Commissioners to issue clear instructions not to allow clearance of livestock / livestock products & wild animals without quarantine clearance and deport the same to the country of origin- Board’s F.No.-IV dated 4.1.2005