SHILLONG: BSF jawans have recovered a Tokay gecko, a species of lizard that has high value in international market, at Kasinda in East Khasi Hills. The BSF troops on Friday spotted a person trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory from Bangladesh. He was carrying a bag. When the jawans asked him to stop, he left the bag with the gecko behind and fled towards Bangladesh. Tokay geckos are in great demand in some South East Asian countries and are believed by many to have medicinal value and this has led to an increase in illegal trade of the reptile.
A mature gecko can easily fetch lakhs of rupees. Poaching of the endangered species is common in the northeastern region where the reptiles were found in abundance. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has incorporated it under Schedule IV of Protection of Wildlife by a notification issued on December 6, 2013, that makes rearing, hunting and dealing in geckos cognizable offences and can invite a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or a prison term of up to three years or both. In another incident, BSF troops have seized cattle worth Rs 2,34,000 which were being smuggled to Bangladesh.