The following content is collected from public information and does not represent the views of WCS-India.
Forty-eight illegal wildlife trade incidents from various regions across the country have been collected using open-source intelligence (OSINT). The highest number of wildlife seizure incidents were reported from the states of Tamil Nadu (12), Odisha (6), and Uttar Pradesh (5). Some of the commonly reported wildlife species in seizures were Asian Elephant, Pangolin, Indian Softshell Turtle, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Deer, and Monitor Lizard.
Six illegal wildlife trade incidents from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand, also reported seizures of wildlife that are native to India. Some of these species include, Bengal Tiger, Indian Star Tortoise, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and the Tricarinate Hill Turtle.
Important Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) news from India:
1. In a joint operation, the State Tiger Force, Madhya Pradesh and the Regional Unit, Indore, seized multiple species of wildlife in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. The media report mentions the species seized, which includes Iguana, Sun Parakeet, Lovebird, Kenyan Sand Boa, Savannah Lizard, Emperor Scorpion, Tarantula Spider, Yellow Monitor, Black Kite and Water Monitor. Two people were arrested. The arrested individuals were found to have created fake accounts on the Parivesh 1.0 and Parivesh 2.0 portals, facilitating the illegal trade of rare foreign animal species across various Indian states without proper documentation. Link1
2. The Indian Customs seized 15 exotic bird species and one exotic monkey species from Mumbai Airport. The passengers arrived from Jakarta, Indonesia. Link1
Photo Credit: Arvind Kumar Chaurasia
Additional Commissioner, Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)
Other exotic wildlife IWT incidents:
3. Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of seizure cases involving Asian Elephant parts. In one such case, a pair of elephant tusks and four teeth were seized from the Kaliyal Range of Kanniyakumari Forest Division as part of an operation by the Tamil Nadu Forest, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (TNFWCCB) and the Kanniyakumari Forest Division officers at Kadayalmoodu. Three people were arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5 Link6 Link7
Photo Credit: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
Other Elephant IWT Incidents:
4. In one high volume seizure case, the Forest Department officials in Rampachodavaram town seized 397 Indian tent turtles (37 were found dead) following a raid at the Foxpet forest checkpost in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh. Two people were arrested hailing from Malkangiri district of Odisha. These individuals are repeat offenders, previously caught in May with 1,589 turtles concealed in onion bags. They were arrested and sent to judicial custody but were later released on bail. Undeterred, they resumed smuggling turtles from Kalidindi, Krishna, Achanta-Palakollu in West Godavari and Rampachodavaram in Konaseema district to Odisha. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: The New Indian Express
Other tortoise and freshwater turtle IWT incidents:
5. In a joint operation, the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Anti-poaching Team, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Chhattisgarh, and Kalahandi Forest Division seized 160 pieces of pangolin scales near Nabarangpur-Kalahandi border. Two individuals were arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
6. The Karnataka Forest Department seized 42 Indian Bullfrogs near the Kali River Bridge between Karwar and Sadashivgad. The frogs were found in a bag stored in the luggage space area of a bus which was being smuggled into Goa. Two individuals were arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Deccan Chronicle
7. In a joint operation the 41st battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Tukriajhar Forest Department seized a rhino horn weighing 1.25 kg, at Satbhaiya toll plaza in Naxalbari, Darjeeling district. A person who hails from Manipur was trying to smuggle the horn to Nepal was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3
Photo Credit: Siliguri Times
8. The Special Task Force (STF), and Nayagarh Forest Division seized a leopard skin near Khamarsahi police station, Dasapalla district, Odisha. One person was arrested. Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4
9. In a joint operation, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Wildlife Justice Commission of India (WJC), and the Andhra Pradesh Wildlife and District Forest Authorities seized 162 porcupine quills, 2 deer skins, 5 jackal tails, 989 sea fans, 200 photo frames of corals and 60 rare sea shells from a house at Akshayanidhi Mart in Vijayawada. One person was arrested. Link1 Link2
Photo Credit: The Hindu
Important Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) news from Malaysia:
- 361 turtles were seized from Taman Subang Mewah, Selangor. The reported species were Indian Star Tortoise and Tricarinate Hill Turtle. The suspect confessed that the Turtles were smuggled from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. After meeting local demand, the Turtles were headed for markets in Indonesia and Thailand. The syndicate is known as ‘Ninja Turtle Gang’. Link1 Link2 Link3
Other IWT news:
- Illegal bushmeat trade alive and well in Krishnagiri’s Sikkarimedu village - The New Indian Express
- After TNIE expose, 18 monitor lizards seized, 3 arrested in Krishnagiri - The New Indian Express
- Poaching Suspected: Decomposed Tiger Carcass Found in Pilibhit Canal - Times Now
- Two caught poaching frogs - Herald Goa
- Major seizure of illegal timber logs by forest department in Assam's Kokrajhar - India Today NE
- Police Station Bambooflat Seized 32 Kg of Venison - Andaman Police Press Release
- Man arrested for poaching wild boar - Orissa Post
- Two held with 50 kg wild boar meat in Bhitarkanika - The New Indian Express
- Two held under Wildlife Protection Act in Nilgiris - Times of India
- Carcass of Gangetic River Dolphin Found in Kulsi River: Poaching and Environmental Concerns Persist - The Hills Times
- Puducherry sandalwood smuggling: Tamil Nadu Forest Department intensifies probe - The Hindu
- Six tonnes of sandalwood seized, smuggling racket busted in Puducherry - The Hindu
- Hotel owner among 2 held with ambergris worth Rs 3 crore - The New Indian Express
- Assam: SSB Seizes Smuggled Timber Worth Rs. 23 Lakhs in Operations Near Indo-Bhutan Border on World Environment Day - The Sentinel Assam
- Surat forest officials seize khair wood worth Rs 5 crore from depot in Madhya Pradesh - The Indian Express
- Forest officer suspended after poachers kill chinkara in Lathi - Times of India
- Truck loaded with timber seized - Daily Excelsior
- Andhra man held in Nirmal for illegal trade of wild boars - Telangana Today
- Three Poachers Held In Balasore, Animal Body Parts Seized - Pragativadi
- Three Deer Antlers were seized in a joint operation conducted by WCCB and Gujarat Forest Department at Valsad, Gujarat -Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
- Four animals rescued from Pune’s Yerawada area - Hindustan Times
- Forest officials arrest five men in Tiruchy, seize 19 kg of ambergris - DT NEXT
- One more ivory trader nabbed in Aceh - Antara News
- Rising gun use in elephant poaching in east Nepal alarms conservationists - The Kathmandu Post
- Security forces seize illegal wildlife, narcotics in Tachilek raid - The Global New Light of Myanmar
- Illegal tiger cub trafficking operation thwarted in Bueng Kan - The Thaiger
- Vietnamese man arrested with protected birds - Bangkok Post