Mayabunder | January 07, 2026
Tarun Karthick
Mayabunder police have registered an FIR after recovering a large quantity of diesel and suspected meat of wildlife species during a late-night raid at Lataw area near the ANIIDCO petrol pump under Mayabunder police station limits in North & Middle Andaman district.
According to the First Information Report (FIR No. 0001/2026), police received information from a credible source at around 10:30 pm on January 2, 2026, alleging that an individual had stored excess diesel and illegal meat of animals protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. The information indicated that immediate action was required to prevent removal of the materials.
The information was conveyed to the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Diglipur, following which permission was obtained to conduct a raid. A police team led by Inspector Abdul Sajid, Station House Officer of Mayabunder Police Station, was constituted and proceeded to the location.
During the search of the house premises at Lataw, police recovered a substantial quantity of diesel stored in drums and jerricans. As per the FIR, approximately 1,600 litres of diesel were recovered from the premises. The accused, identified as Sanjeev Sukumaran (Mazdoor, APWD), was present at the house at the time of the search.
Police directed the individual to produce valid permits or bills for storing such a large quantity of diesel, but he failed to do so. The diesel was seized at around 1:30 am on January 3, 2026.
The FIR further states that during the search, police also recovered suspected meat of wildlife species, including approximately 9.472 kg of suspected wild goat meat, 5.270 kg of suspected wild boar meat, and 1.647 kg of suspected sea turtle meat, packed in plastic sacks. These items were seized at around 2:00 am on January 3, 2026.
As the recovered meat is stated to be prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act, the FIR mentions that the seized items will be handed over to the Forest Department, Mayabunder, for further legal action as per law.
The seized diesel and other materials were brought to Mayabunder Police Station for initiating legal proceedings. Based on the contents of the FIR, a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Wildlife Protection Act.
