(IN): Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket

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Link:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Kolkata_/Czech_duo_may_be_part_of_inse\

ct_smuggling_racket/articleshow/3216655.cms

 

*Czech duo may be part of insect smuggling racket*

10 Jul 2008, 0539 hrs IST,TNN

 

KOLKATA: The arrest in Darjeeling of two Czech nationals — who introduced

themselves as a scientist and a forester and collected several rare species

of butterflies and insects without permission from the forest department —

has literally opened a can of worms.

 

Forest officials fear that they trespassed into Singalila National Park with

a motive. And they might be part of a global network that trades in

endangered varieties of butterflies and insects that fetch millions of

dollars in the international market.

 

According to the forest department, one of the arrested, Peter Svacha, even

has a website on which he has posted offers to sell some rare butterflies.

Svacha and his companion Emil Kucera — who claimed to be a forester — were

remanded in jail custody till July 21 by the Darjeeling court on Wednesday.

 

Forest officials seized 60 butterflies, over a dozen rare varieties of

beetles and moths from them after their arrest from a Darjeeling hotel on

June 22. The catch, made at the national park in Darjeeling, is estimated to

be worth Rs 10 crore in the international market. It has been sent to the

Zoological Survey of India for analysis.

 

Investigators are proceed-ing cautiously because the accused scientist is

apparently well known and finds mention on several websites.

 

Seshmani Gurung, defence lawyer for the duo, said: " I could not attend the

hearing because of the ceasework at court. I will advise my clients to write

to the political party that has called the strike in government offices and

to the Bar council to open the court for proceedings. "

 

While the butterflies are listed in Schedule I, the beetles are included in

Schedule II of the Wild Life Protection Act. Neither Svacha nor Kucera had

clearance or permission to collect butterflies from Singalila National Park.

 

" But they were carrying all the necessary equipment, which shows they had

come with a purpose. It can't be that they were not aware that permission

had to be sought. The two had insect catching nets, an axe, a saw, a lamp

and glue. They were even carrying preservatives. We suspect the butterflies

and insects would either have been smuggled to China or to some European

country from the Czech Republic, " said Utpal Nag, assistant divisional

forest officer of Darjeeling. " Both are well aware of the forest rules and

regulations in India and had done an extensive study on Indian biodiversity.

This could be the tip of an iceberg. "

 

Darjeeling and the Dooars are considered among the richest in the world in

terms of biodiversity. The area is home to 120 rare species of butterflies

that have a huge market in at least 16 countries including China, US and

Tibet. Last year, a German national was caught collecting insects from

Darjeeling.

 

" Bio-piracy is rampant in the eastern Himalayas. Just 3-4 cases have come to

light in the last 10 years while the rest went unnoticed. Usually foreigners

operate in the area posing as scientists. This is a cause for concern, " said

Deepankar Ghosh, senior coordinator of WWF India.

 

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