Enforcement infrastructure inadequate to tackle wildlife crime: Go

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Conceding that enforcement infrastructure was inadequate to deal with wildlife crime in the country, the government today asked State enforcement agencies to coordinate for effective tackling of the menace.

Addressing a seminar on 'Wildlife Crime Prevention', Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena said India has become one of the prime targets of organised illegal international trade in wild animals and their derivatives, the Minister asked the enforcement agencies in the States and at the Centre to act in a coordinated fashion to tackle the crime.

Informing that his ministry had set up regional offices at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai for wildlife preservation and prevention of smuggling of wild animals and their products, Mr Meen said five more offices of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau were proposed at Guwahati, Chandigarh, Bareilly, Silchar and Jabalpur, which would focus on the border areas to combat wildlife crimes.

He said a committee had also been set up to recommended the establishment of a centralised Wildlife Crime Data Bank to collect, collate and analyse data on wildlife and to provide ''implementable guidelines'' besides establishing a Central Task Force to coordinate with other enforcement agencies.

The minister also informed that with the recent amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, which would continue to remain with the States/Union Territories, an enabling provision has been made for creation of a National Wildlife Crime Control Bureau which would ensure coordination, database creation and intelligence gathering in the field of wildlife crime.

Earlier, CBI Director Vijay Shanker said recent investigations indicated existence of organised wildlife criminals with a streamlined network of poachers and middlemen having international connections.

The CBI was fostering international cooperation to tackle this and has forged alliance with its counterparts in Nepal and China -- important transit and destinations for smuggled wildlife products from India.

About hundred participants, including officers of SSB, BSF, DRI, Customs, Enforcement Directorate and forensic experts from Wildlife Institute of India participated in the Seminar, deliberating on intelligence sharing, coordination among various law enforcement agencies and on issues relating to prosecution of wildlife offences in the courts, was organised by the CBI in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

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