NEW DELHI: It's illegal all right but who said quality wasn't an issue here. Right under the nose of the government's laws to check poaching and trade in wildlife products, an `illegal consignment' seized recently has wildlife activists worried and officials wondering of the reach and power of this `industry'.

If experts are to be believed not only is the multi-billion-wildlife industry flourishing, it is also showing signs of establishing itself into an organised industry with it centre in wildlife-rich India. And the latest skeleton to roll out from this illegal industry is the `quality test' being offered to customers worldwide.

Officials were shocked when signatures and stamps of `OK Tested' were found on the reverse of many of the leopard skins seized on April 6 this year. This illegal consignment was intercepted and seized by the Delhi police and now has wildlife activist questioning the effectiveness of the measure taken to stop sale of animal products.

"In a clear indication of the fact that large-scale regulated trade is prevalent even in this illegal business, the consignment of leopard and otter skins had rubber stamps on the back saying `O.K. Tested, W-7' - a seal, and of course signatures in Tibetan,'' said a wildlife activist.

Signatures in Tibetan language have been seen in many seizures of tiger, leopard and otter skins in the past, but this is the first time a quality approval stamp has been seen. "Have things come to such a pass that a factory-like operation of a quality control inspector is now operating in this trade? This is a new dimension to the well-established trade in tiger and leopard skins operating from India to Tibet mostly through Nepal. At present, the Indian government does not have an organisation which can control even a fraction of this trade, which puts a question mark over the survival of wild tigers in India,'' said the Trustee of Wildlife Trust of India, Ashok Kumar.

"Experts were horrified at seeing the photograph of the quality control stamp on leopard skins. Two Nepalese and one Tibetan were arrested. There are many unanswered questions in this seizure which we can now hope would be unravelled,'' said Coordinator Communications and Campaigns, Wildlife Trust of India, Rupa Gandhi Chaudhary.