An Analysis of the Endeavours by the Indian Government to Curb Wildlife Crimes

The data by the State, Police authority of the Forest, and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on the basis of cases registered from 2018 to 2020 revealed that 2054 cases were registered and 3836 arrests were made for illegal trade or killing of wildlife. The increasing demand for illegal wildlife has proportionately increased over the course of time. The demands for rare species are increasing given their trade value. Although wildlife is also shipped to the Gulf, Europe, and North America, either alive or in the form of body parts, the major consumer markets are China and South East Asia. The primary transit nations outside India include Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. During the cross-border illegal trade, there are apparent risks such as spread of diseases, and as the world is already witnessing the effects of a pandemic, it sheds some light on the future risks if wildlife crime is not controlled. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is a robust piece of law that addresses wildlife crime in India. To stop this international crime, however, the implementation and enforcement processes must be enhanced. The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change in coordination with State forest departments and other enforcement agencies had launched operations focusing on poaching, transport, and illegal trade of wildlife from 2016 to date, and this chapter is an analysis of all such operations from a criminological perspective. This chapter also gives a brief insight into the set-up and functioning of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).