Discovery of parts of endangered
animals in parcels leads to alert across the country.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
(WCCB) recently found that smugglers are using the postal service to sell parts
of endangered animals. They stumbled upon feathers of the grey jungle fowl
being smuggled out by the hundreds.
These feathers with eyespots are
used as fishing lures and were being sent to certain European countries.
Earlier this year, another case came to light: Pangolin scales were smuggled to
Southeast Asian countries, using the services of India Post.
In an attempt to formulate a
strategy to check such crimes in West Bengal and neighbouring states of
Jharkhand and Odisha, an inter-agency co-ordination meeting was organised by
the WCCB, Eastern Region in Kolkata on Thursday.
Representatives of more than a
dozen investigating and law enforcement agencies, border security forces and
forest departments of the different eastern states participated.
“It was decided to hold
sensitisation workshops and train the postal department and other enforcement
agencies and familiarise them with wildlife articles and modus operandi of
criminal networks,” said Agni Mitra, Regional Deputy Director, Eastern Region,
WCCB.
Tribal hunting a problem
Keeping strict vigil during
traditions like the Shikar Utsav (hunting festival) of the tribal regions of
south Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand was also reviewed.
A large number of deer, wild
boar, jungle fowl and other animals, which fall under the Schedules of The
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, are killed during this summer festival.
WCCB representatives and the
Border Security Force took stock of their preparedness to check turtle
smuggling for which West Bengal is a transit route. During last winter, over
15,000 turtles were seized from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
“Wildlife smuggling is so huge
that no one agency can tackle it. Inter-departmental coordination can help
reduce such crime in Bengal, which is a transit route to Southeast Asia,” said
Ajanta Dey, of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society.
Source: The Hindu
