NEW DELHI: The CBI in coordination with Interpol is organising a two-day Regional Investigative and Analytical Case Meeting (RIACM), which began at its headquarters here on Thursday, to discuss ways to effectively combat transnational tiger trafficking, officials said.
The officials said, the meeting is primarily focusing on the critical issue of tiger trafficking networks, a transnational threat that endangers the safety of tigers and other big cats across the Indian subcontinent.
“The event brings together domain experts from INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Programme, senior law enforcement officials from Nepal, and representatives from India’s specialised agencies dealing with wildlife crimes, including the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the Economic Offences-II branch of CBI, which is specialised in environmental and wildlife crimes,” a senior official said.
He went on to add that the primary focus of the RIACM is to “further strengthen cross-border law enforcement cooperation between Indian and Nepalese law enforcement authorities” and to facilitate the sharing of criminal intelligence on tiger trafficking routes, trends, and networks.
“A significant concern remains the trafficking route from India, via Nepal, to China, which continues to be frequently used for the illegal trade of tigers, leopards, and other big cats. Middlemen and traders involved in these networks coordinate the collection, storage, and sale of contraband, facilitating its transportation to far eastern markets,” the official.
According to the officials the meet provides a platform for Indian and Nepalese authorities to exchange details on ongoing investigations related to tiger trafficking, with an aim to bolster intelligence-led enforcement actions, as they “will re-map existing criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking”, with a focus on identifying new targets and “re-examining outstanding criminal entities for further coordinated action”.
Indian and Nepalese authorities aim to work closely to initiate operations against identified criminal targets, utilizing Interpol channels to collaborate with law enforcement agencies in other countries affected by the trafficking routes, they said.