Meet to discuss strategy to checking poaching

New Delhi, Nov 26 (UNI) Amid widespread concern over rampant poaching of animals, senior officials from police and forest department and Forensic experts from the Wildlife Institute of India will meet here tomorrow to discuss ways to check the menace.

Among those participating in the day-long meet, taking place in the backdrop of growing concern for wildlife crime which is taking the shape of an organised crime, will be senior Police officers, forest officers from States and Union Territories, officers of the Central Police Organisations such as SSB, BSF and from agencies like DRI, Customs, Enforcement Directorate and the Forensic experts from the Wildlife Institute of India.

The day-long meet, being held for the first time at the national level, is being organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation in collaboration with the Environment and Forest Ministry.

The focus of the meet, to be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest N N Meena, will be sharing of intelligence, coordination among different law enforcementagencies and on issues relating to prosecution of wildlife offenders in the courts.

It will also emphasise the role of NGOs and public in combating wildlife poaching.

The meet is also expected to create a national approach to effectively deal with the crime.

Implication of the Money Laundering Act on wildlife poaching crimes and modus operandi of wildlife gangs operating in different parts of the country are also likely to be raised at the meet.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest N N Meena will inaugurate the meet.

UNI AR MQA GC1742