An illegal shipment of peacock feathers bound for Dubai has been seized at Mumbai airport, India, according to officials.
The air intelligence unit of Mumbai customs seized 100kg of feathers from four passengers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Monday.
Peacocks are protected under schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972, and the export of their feathers is also prohibited. Trade in naturally-shed feathers is not a crime.
Of the four UAE-bound passengers, three were from Uttar Pradesh and one was from Kerala. They were intercepted carrying the feathers in six bags.
Updated: April 25, 2019, 12:55 PM