KARACHI: While the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is yet to take notice of the wildlife trafficking case involving three Chinese, nine out of 12 suspects, who were recently arrested with more than 700 freshwater turtles in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), were granted bail on Friday.

The decision was taken by the second judicial magistrate, Malir district.

The suspects released on bail include three Chinese and their six helpers based in Faisalabad. Three other suspects, all drivers hailing from Sanghar and Nawabshah, are still in judicial custody.

“No doubt the wildlife law is weak and it’s a bailable offence, but the bail application was filed only on behalf of the Pakistanis and not the Chinese,” claimed a wildlife official on condition of anonymity.

The FIA’s inaction and silence of the ministry of climate change in the case is being seen by wildlife circles as a major blow to the efforts to curb the illegal wildlife trade.

“Isn’t the responsibility of the FIA to interrogate foreigners involved in illegal activities in the country?” he asked.

The wildlife department officials complained that they had been left alone in the case to handle pressure from all sides to release the equipment and documents, including passports seized during the raid on a DHA bungalow.

There was no word from the prime minister’s focal person on climate change Syed Rizwan Mehboob either, who was earlier actively pursuing the case, they said.

The official was not available for comments.

Upon contact, the federal Inspector General of Forests, who represents the state as the focal person or controlling officer to a number of international obligations, including the Convention on International Trade in Wild Species of Fauna and Flora, Syed Mehmood Nasir, said that relevant departments had been informed about the case.

“A letter in this regard has been sent to the FIA in Karachi. Perhaps, it’s the Eid holidays that have delayed action (by the agency),” he said.

It may be recalled that a total of 780 freshwater turtles identified as black pond species (Geoclemys hamiltonii) were confiscated in a major raid on traffickers in the DHA area.

Twelve suspects, including three Chinese, were arrested and sent in judicial custody. Twenty turtles were found dead.

Investigations showed that the turtles were all trapped from the Chotiari Dam area in Sanghar. Two key wildlife traffickers, Pappu Punjabi and Nawab Khan, were declared absconders in the case.

The turtles, most of them females, were later released into the Kallar lake and the rest in the Nara canal, both located in Sukkur.

All freshwater turtle species of Pakistan are endangered and protected under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan wildlife protection acts and are included in the revised Sindh Wildlife Protection Act.

According to experts, illicit wildlife trade of freshwater turtles is escalating in Pakistan as there have been a number of cases in which these animals, particularly the black pond species, have been confiscated in large numbers in recent years.

Poaching and smuggling of freshwater turtles due to their demand in the East Asian countries, particularly in China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam, has led to a significant decline in their populations, they believe.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2016