Manipur Police Arrest Man for Smuggling Peacock Feathers to Myanmar
On May 17, 2025 Manipur police intercepted a vehicle near Pallel in Kakching district and seized 72,000 peacock-feather shafts packed in four plastic sacks. The consignment—protected under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act—was allegedly being ferried by 24-year-old Md. Sharifuddin of Moreh Ward 5, who planned to sneak the feathers across the porous Indo-Myanmar border. Officers booked the accused under wildlife-crime sections and launched a probe into a broader trafficking ring that siphons India’s national bird feathers to meet steady demand in Myanmar and China.
Smuggling Peacock Feathers: The Untold Trade Bleeding India’s National Bird
1. Why Peacock Feathers Are Hot Contraband
Ever admired those mesmerizing, iridescent “eyes” on a peacock tail? So do collectors, spiritual-goods sellers, fashion houses and even illegal taxidermists across South and Southeast Asia. While exporting peacock feathers was legal in India until 2013, escalating poaching forced a blanket ban. Today every plume, shaft and tail is protected, making any unsanctioned sale equivalent to smuggling tiger skin or rhino horn—only less publicized.
Per-kilogram street value: ₹8,000–₹12,000 in border towns, ballooning to triple that in Mandalay or Bangkok flea-markets. For traffickers, the math is simple: a single 18-bundle sack (~18,000 shafts) can fetch ₹15 lakh across the border—small bulk, huge margins, low risk of detection because feathers lack blood or odor.
2. Manipur—Frontier State or Wildlife-Trafficking Highway?
Nestled between Myanmar’s Sagaing Region and India’s northeast, Manipur spans just 22,000 km² yet hosts over 100 informal crossing points besides the official Moreh-Tamu gate. Bamboo thickets, riverine beds and ethnic kinship on both sides create an ideal corridor for contraband—be it meth tablets, exotic timber or, yes, peacock feathers.
Since 2020, Manipur’s Forest Department has recorded a 67 % rise in bird-part seizures, much of it in Tengnoupal and Kamjong districts abutting the border. Experts blame:
- Armed conflict: Security forces prioritise insurgency, leaving wildlife crimes in the shadows.
- Economic strain: Border villages rely on cross-border barter (betel nut, fertiliser) that morphs into illicit trade when profits beckon.
- Weak cross-border protocols: Myanmar’s fragile law-enforcement makes extradition or joint probes rare.
3. Anatomy of the May 17 Bust
Time & Place: 12:05 p.m., NH-102 near Pallel Police Station gate. Officers from Kakching commando unit flagged down a white van after tip-offs hinted at a “bulk feather” haul.
Seizure log
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic sacks | 4 | Each 40 kg |
| Bundles per sack | 18 | Total 72 bundles |
| Shafts counted | 72,000 | Averaged via random sampling |
The accused offered no veterinary or forest-department certificate required for legitimate feather transport. Preliminary interrogation revealed:
- Pickup point: Hawker’s warehouse, Moreh
- Intended route: Moreh → Tamu → Kalewa river port → Yangon wholesalers
- Payment mode: Cryptocurrency via mobile wallet—reflecting traffickers’ digital pivot.
Police invoked Sections 9, 39 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, which prescribe up to seven years’ imprisonment.
4. The Bigger Environmental Picture
Smuggling feathers doesn’t kill a peacock—right? Not quite. Poachers harvest full tails, often stunning birds with traps or slingshots, causing fatal injuries or exposure death. Even if feathers are shed naturally (moulting), collecting them from sanctuaries disrupts nesting sites.
- Population pressure: India’s last comprehensive census (2018) pegged peafowl at 500,000. Ornithologists fear habitat loss plus illicit trade could shave 10–15 % off by 2030.
- Ecological role: Peafowl are ground foragers controlling insect populations; their decline may spike farm-pest density.
5. Law, Loopholes & Enforcement Challenges
India banned feather export in 2013 but:
- Old stock clause: Traders could sell “pre-ban inventory” with certificates—easy to forge.
- Inter-state ambiguity: Transporting within India still requires state permits; many courts treat first-time offenders leniently with fines.
- Border complexity: At Moreh, customs officers focus on narcotics; a compressed bale of feathers resembles millet stalks, slipping through X-ray screens.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has only 52 field officers covering all of northeast India—clearly outgunned.
6. Local Voices: Communities, Customs and Culture Clash
For hill tribes like the Tangkhul or Thadou, peacock feathers aren’t native to local rites; yet urban craft stores in Imphal sell them as “auspicious décor”. Interviews with Moreh shopkeepers (names withheld) reveal:
“Temple suppliers in Yangon pay in dollars. Our boys just carry, police look the other way if you pay tax.”
The same community laments shrinking farming income. Until alternative livelihoods—eco-tourism, legal bamboo trade—take hold, feathers will remain quick cash.
7. What Drives Demand in Myanmar and Beyond?
- Buddhist ritual fans (Patta): Monks in Myanmar and Thailand prize peacock-feather fans symbolizing purity.
- Fashion accessories: Global boho-chic brands source feathers for earrings and hats; some overlook provenance.
- Traditional medicine: In Chinese folk therapy, powdered feather is believed (falsely) to treat epilepsy.
A 2024 Traffic-SEA report estimated 1.8 million feathers enter Myanmar annually, 70 % via Manipur routes.
FAQs
- Are peacock feathers completely illegal to own in India?
Owning fallen feathers collected naturally on private property isn’t criminal, but selling or transporting them without a permit is. - Why not farm peacocks for feathers?
Peacock farming exists in pockets, yet large-scale plucking stresses birds and violates cruelty laws; moreover, it risks laundering wild feathers. - What penalties does Sharifuddin face?
Under Section 51 of the Wildlife Act, he could get up to seven years in prison and a ₹25,000 fine—courts increasingly lean toward custodial sentences to deter repeat offenses. - How can tourists help curb the trade?
Refuse to buy feather décor or fans without verifiable origin certificates, and report suspicious bulk stock to forest hotlines (dial 1926 in India). - Could synthetic feathers replace real ones?
Yes—recycled PET fibers now mimic peacock sheen. Promoting these alternatives can crash black-market prices and ease poaching pressure.
