Photo Credit: Assam Forest Department/X
In a significant operation on October 2, 2024, personnel from the Assam Forest Department, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the Government Railway Police Force (GRPF) successfully recovered 31 live specimens of the critically endangered Channa Barca fish. The rescue took place at Guwahati Railway Station, where authorities intercepted the smuggled fish hidden in two sealed cartons.
Channa Barca, an ornamental fish highly prized for its rarity, is valued between Rs 22-23 lakh per specimen in the international market. According to sources from the Assam Forest Department, these fish were being smuggled from Orang to West Bengal, with the ultimate destination suspected to be South Asia. The three individuals involved in the smuggling operation were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Each fish weighed approximately 700 grams.
The Kamrup (M) Forest Department, in collaboration with Orang National Park, has launched a thorough investigation into the case. Channa Barca, known locally as Pipli Cheng or Ceng Garaka, is native to the upper Brahmaputra basin and parts of Bangladesh. Its population has been severely affected by habitat loss and illegal fishing, leading to its classification as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Authorities have yet to reveal the intended destination or full details about the origins of the seized fish, but investigations are ongoing.
