On 22–23 June 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Viet Nam Program (WCS Viet Nam), organized a training course on “Detection and handling of violations in the forestry sector” for 25 participants from Forest Protection Departments and National Parks across 11 provinces and cities, including Cao Bang, Ha Noi, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Hue, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
In the opening remarks, Ms. Hoang Bich Thuy, Country Director of WCS Viet Nam, highlighted the growing challenges in preventing, detecting, and handling of forest violations, especially those related to wildlife protection as illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has increasingly shifted to online platforms. Therefore, she emphasized the urgent need to update law enforcement officers operating in the forestry sector with new laws and regulations as well as strengthen their capacity to utilize digital information and tools in order to enhance the effectiveness of forest and wildlife protection efforts.
Mr. Vu Do Vy Binh, Information Technology Specialist, guided participants through hands-on exercises on using OSINT techniques to collect and analyze data from e-commerce platforms, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2026
During the training, trainers and participants discussed the characteristics, methods, trends, and emerging tactics of the IWT on online platforms in Viet Nam. Under the guidance of a digital forensics expert, participants were introduced to and practiced using a range of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools to collect information related to online IWT, including social media account analysis, extraction of metadata from images and documents, website history searches, and IP address identification and analysis.
Lecturer Nguyen Thi Tien of the Vietnam National University of Forestry provided participants with an update on recently amended and supplemented legal regulations in the forestry sector, focusing on forest management, forest protection, and wildlife conservation, Ho Chi Minh City, June 2026
Participants were then updated on recent policy and legal developments in the forestry sector, particularly the key provisions of Government Decree No. 146/2026/ND-CP dated 6 May 2026 on administrative sanctions in the forestry sector, which takes effect on 25 June 2026. Participants were also introduced to some artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can be used to support their legal research and comparison of legal provisions.
Through scenario-based exercises involving illegal online advertisements and sales of wildlife products, participants applied the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to identify signs and indicators of illegal activity, collect and verify information, and discussed the application of newly issued regulations to handling the case.
The training course was conducted within the framework of the project “Scaling up efforts to counter wildlife trafficking in Viet Nam” funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), United States Department of State, and implemented by WCS Viet Nam.