Chinese ‘tourists’ face 7 years in Indian jail over shahtoosh shawls made from endangered antelope

Two Chinese women have been detained in New Delhi after attempting to leave India with US$574,000 worth of shawls made from a species of endangered antelope, prompting Beijing to warn its nationals to abide by local laws when travelling.

The Chinese embassy on Sunday confirmed it had contacted the families of the women and offered them legal advice after they were arrested last week.

Embassy director Zhao Jun warned mainland tourists not to purchase shahtoosh shawls made from the fine underhair of the Tibetan antelope, or chiru. The animal is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union, as well as by China and India.

“Chinese citizens are now going to India for tourist season …[We] issued a reminder to Chinese citizens to strictly abide by the Indian wildlife protection law and other regulations, and they must not carry prohibited wild animals and plants,” Zhao told a media briefing on Sunday.

“We would like to remind domestic tourists again to learn more about India’s laws and regulations, to respect local customs and habits, and make their travels safe.”

Indian media reported that the Chinese nationals, who entered on tourist visas, carried 15 shahtoosh shawls worth about US$38,000 each.

Each finely-knit scarf, which requires the slaughter of three or four chiru, ranges in price from about US$3,000 for a plain, un-dyed version, to tens of thousands of dollars for intricately-woven, colourful variations.

According to Chinese media, the tourists face potential fines of up to 450,000 yuan (US$64,800) each and between three and seven years in jail.