Police on Wednesday arrested a youth for smuggling crocodile babies in Mumbai's Powai based on a complaint by the forest department. Meanwhile, the accused brought the smuggled baby crocodile to the IIT Powai area for sale.
Powai Lake is home to crocodiles and often large crocodiles try to migrate from Powai Lake to Vihar Lake. The forest department had received information that a person would come to the area on Wednesday to sell baby crocodiles. Based on this information, the forest department had laid a trap on the Jogeshwari junction in front of the entrance of IIT Powai. As soon as the suspicious person was seen, the forest department officials and staff detained him.
When he was searched, a baby crocodile was found in his possession. The forest department registered a case against the accused in Mulund police station on Wednesday, July 10 and the accused was produced in the court. The forest department has got the custody of the accused for two days. The Crocodile Wildlife Act, 1972 is in Schedule 1 and provides imprisonment for 3 to 7 years and a fine of INR 25,000 for smuggling crocodiles.
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