KARACHI, June 28: The Customs officials have seized a 3.6-tonne consignment of meat of the endangered green turtle being exported to the Far East by a Lahore-based trading company.

The Assistant Collector Export, Fayyaz Rasool, said investigation was being carried out into the case, as it concerned wildlife, which was of prime importance, he remarked. However, he refrained from divulging further details saying it would effect investigation.

A Lahore-based company had booked the consignment for Vietnam, which was seized from a berth at Ghas Bander in West Wharf a few days back, sources in the customs department said.

They said the consignment was falsely declared as ‘offal’ and was booked by Lahore based M/S Mian Sadaqat. A clearing agent, Khanzada International, was reportedly handling the consignment at the Karachi Port, customs sources said.

However, it wasn’t clear whether the customs officials had acted on a tip-off or had inadvertently stepped into the valuable consignment.

Marine turtles are species of a special concern and are included in the WWF — Pakistan’s strategic plan.

Globally, there are eight species of marine turtles, and they are all classified as endangered.

The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are two species of marine turtles that nest along the Sandspit and Hawkesbay beaches on the Karachi coast.

All species of marine turtles are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). And, Pakistan is a signatory to the CITES, which prohibits trade in turtles, turtle parts and its eggs.

The government of Sindh has also declared the marine turtle as a ‘protected species’.

Sources in the Customs department described the seizure as first of its kind.

The value of the consignment in the international market is yet to be ascertained by the department.

An environmentalist said the seizure showed that the trade and killing of the endangered species was being widely carried out in the country, and the government was a silent spectator to it.