From a conservation problem to a criminal one, illegal wildlife crime and trade has increased both in severity and frequency since 2010, with values rising from < USD 1 billion to c. USD 20 billion per year (World Wildlife Crime Report 2020: Trafficking in Protected Species. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). Smaller animals such as pangolins, turtles and geckos now comprise significant value in illegal trade along with high-value wildlife species. In India, 2.4% of the land cover is home to the largest wild populations of the one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis, Asian elephant Elephas maximus and Bengal tiger Panthera tigris, and India is one of the main sources of illegal wildlife products in Asia. North-east India, a part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, is susceptible to illegal wildlife trafficking as it is often used as a transit hub from elsewhere in India, Nepal and Bhutan to Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and China.
This region has also witnessed periodical armed rebellions. Arms and ammunition are smuggled through the international borders in exchange for wildlife products. Rhino horns, elephant ivory, pangolin scales, snake venom and tiger parts are exchanged for arms and drugs. A multi-dimensional stakeholder approach is needed to deter wildlife crime in this region: officials from the forest, police and law-enforcement agencies such as the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and border police, and transportation, security and judiciary agencies need to work together. To focus on deterring illegal wildlife crime and trade, the conservation NGO Aaranyak launched an initiative in 2021 called D.E.T.E.R.S. (Disrupt and End Trade of Endangered and Rare Species). Among the various target audiences for D.E.T.E.R.S., we focused on holding awareness, sensitization and training workshops for the border police forces; i.e. the Assam Rifles, Sashashtra Seema Bal, Border Security Force and others. Their role in checking the influx and outflux of illegal arms, drugs and wildlife items across north-east India's international borders has proven crucial for the deterrence of wildlife crime and illegal wildlife smuggling.
During October 2021–September 2022 we provided wildlife crime awareness workshops and training for wildlife product identification for > 760 border police staff, 40 police officials and 100 officials working in airport and railway security. We were operational in 10 districts of the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. As a result of this training, seizures and detention of offenders followed within 3 months of sensitization. Eight people were apprehended in ivory trade and elephant electrocution cases, and six were detained in cases of pangolin and tokay gecko Gekko gecko trade. Four vials of Agar oil were seized at an airport, along with wild boar teeth ornaments and camel bone artifacts. Two people were apprehended in cases of hunting the great hornbill Buceros bicornis and four in wildmeat smuggling. Seven suspected armed poachers were detained for questioning.
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