Wildlife panel seeks technical expertise to match criminals

NEW DELHI: Concerned over wildlife criminals using high-tech equipment to conduct their activities, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is seeking legal power to access technical surveillance to bring the culprits to book.

Currently, the WCCB, which has been set up on the lines of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to develop intelligence and check wildlife smuggling, has to depend on other enforcement agencies for technical surveillance after zeroing on the criminals and their activities.

"The organized crime in wildlife trade are no longer traditional but adopting the most high-tech facilities available for communication equipment, including computers and transmitters," a senior official from WCCB said.

Justifying the demand for technical surveillance, he said enforcement agencies must not only match them but several steps ahead them, ideally.

"But this is not happening at present except in a few seizures here and there and arrest of some persons who are just a weak link in the chain of wildlife smuggling network. There is still a crying need to empower the Bureau," he said.

The main job of the Bureau, the official said, is to develop intelligence input and reach to the end of the network to nab the actual culprit, usually out of reach and powerful.