Delhi: Juvenile held with 16 rolls of Chinese 'manjha'; over 2,000 reels seized since June

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) Delhi Police has apprehended a 15-year-old boy from Turkman Gate in central Delhi for allegedly selling banned Chinese 'manjha', police said on Thursday after seizing 16 rolls of the deadly kite string from his possession.

Chinese manjha is prohibited under Delhi government notifications for posing a severe threat to human life, birds and the environment.

The operation was conducted on Wednesday when police identified the suspect carrying 16 rolls of Chinese manjha at around 12:30 pm in the Chandni Mahal area, DCP (Crime Branch) Vikram Singh said.

The boy, a resident of Ballimaran in Hauz Qazi, told police during questioning that he obtained the manjha from a friend from the same locality, the DCP said.

A case was registered, and the boy was held. Efforts are underway to identify the source of the supply chain, he added.

Despite a complete ban, Chinese manjha -- a synthetic thread coated with powdered glass -- continues to be sold clandestinely in pockets of the national capital under various brand names such as 'Moye-Moye', 'Dhurandhar', 'Delhi King' and 'Super Fighter', police source said.

Since June 26, police seized more than 2000 rolls of the kite string in multiple raids across the city, arresting several people involved in its sale.

A man was caught on June 26 with more than 200 rolls, while the next day police seized 922 reels in another crackdown.

On August 4, teams recovered more than 650 rolls, followed by 112 seizures on August 13.

Kite flying is a tradition wherein people fly kites as a mark of public celebration on and in the run-up to Independence Day.

Police said consignments are often smuggled into Delhi from neighbouring Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, Bahadurgarh and smaller towns in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The banned string is delivered in unmarked packaging, usually late at night or early in the morning, to avoid detection, they said.

Authorities and animal welfare groups warn that the glass-coated thread is not only hazardous to humans, but also causes severe injuries and death to birds and animals.

In recent weeks, Delhi Fire Service said it has been receiving more than 150 calls related to bird and animal rescue daily.

Between August 1 and 12, different NGOs rescued over 500 injured birds with deep cuts and broken limbs caused by the deadly thread, sources said.

Fatal incidents involving humans have also been reported. On June 27, a 22-year-old man riding his two-wheeler in Shastri Park died after the manjha got entangled around his neck.

In past years, similar incidents have claimed the lives of motorcyclists and even children in the city.

Police have urged the public to report any sale or storage of Chinese manjha to the distress line and warned of strict action against the violators. PTI BM APL ARI