In a move to step up action against offences involving wildlife, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has written to various agencies including CBI, paramilitary forces, customs and state police units, asking them to report all such crimes to it.
In an advisory, WCCB, a statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, has asked these agencies to ensure timely and uniform reporting of wildlife related crime.
Raising concerns about the delay in receiving information from these agencies, WCCB said the data is important as it is sent to other enforcement agencies and prosecutors for action in linking crimes to their perpetrators.
"The information regarding seizures of wildlife specimens or articles and detention of persons involved in such crimes don't reach WCCB in time and it is unable to coordinate with requisite multi-agency efforts in identification of individuals and networks to effectively counter them," the advisory said, adding information so collected and processed is also disseminated to the respective states and UTs.
WCCB is mandated to combat organised wildlife crime in the country and establish a centralised wildlife crime data bank.
"Crime data play a vital role in prevention and detection of crimes, resource allocation and to devise meaningful counter measures. It is, therefore, imperative that authentic data about crimes and criminals are available with the authorities concerned," it said.
The advisory has been issued to Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, Coast Guard, ITBP, RPF, SSB, DRI, CBI, states/UTs police and their respective Principal Chief Conservators of Forests.
These agencies are empowered to seize wildlife articles and detain persons involved in an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, within their respective jurisdictions.
