India, Aug. 11 -- In one of the largest recent actions against illegal wildlife trade in Mumbai, the Thane Forest Department, in coordination with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and NGO Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA), seized 226 protected birds and reptiles from the city's Crawford Market and a nearby godown in Masjid Bunder on Friday.

The raid followed a tip-off from WWA's legal cell, which specialises in combating wildlife trafficking. A 15-member team, supported by multiple forest patrol units from Thane, Wada, Bhaliwali and Mumbai, kept watch until the suspect, Mukhtar Shaikh, 39, of Thane, opened his shop. Inside, officials found 30 caged animals and birds in distress. Further questioning led them to the godown, where ...