SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Rackets and syndicates are active in different sectors, from coal, fertiliser and Burmese betel nuts and now locally reared and grown fishes. Lockdown might have put a break on them, but still the smugglers make desperate attempts to hoodwink the security agencies and administrative machinery to indulge in business to make fast buck. Two days back, acting on reliable inputs, the fishery department laid a trap with the help of police personnel to nab a group of smugglers trying to take out locally produced fishes from the Silcoorie area near this town all the way to Mizoram.
The raid on the spot at Silcoorie under Sonai assembly constituency was carried out by the district fishery development officer Rafiqul Haque . This resulted in recovery of fishes weighing 3.7 quintals consisting of rohu, mrigal, katla and common carp. The seized fishes were taken to Silchar sadar police station. Considering the necessity of its immediate disposal being perishable consumable goods, the fishes were auctioned in presence of executive magistrate of Cachar, Deepmoy Thakuria, which fetched in revenue of Rupees thirty thousand.
Rafiqul Haque said such raids would be carried out frequently to put a halt to such illegal smuggling business. Moreover, the fish produced locally in ponds and watery bodies of Cachar is too meagre to meet the ever growing demand. Fish brought in here from south and north parts of the country has been suspended in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. Fish eaters have to cough up more money than fixed by the local administration. The district fish development officer has held out warning if someone carries out smuggling of fishes, strict action will be taken as per law of the land.
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