Initiate stringent actions against wildlife crimes: Mama Natung to officials

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forest department, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Bangalore based NGO Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India, organized a two-day capacity building workshop on intelligence collection, investigation and handling of wildlife cases. The event was concluded at State Forest Research Institute, Van Vihar Chimpu here.

The field officers of the Forest department, representative from district administration and police officers from Papum Pare and Itanagar Capital region took part in the workshop, which was inaugurated by Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung.

Appreciating the initiative of the department, Natung appealed to the participants to make the most of this opportunity and share ideas to contain wildlife crime in the State. The Minister also asserted that no wildlife crime would be tolerated and asked the Department to take strict action against the offenders as per law.

Natung launched a voluntary campaign of airgun surrendering from his native village at Lumdung in East Kameng district on Wednesday to stop unabated hunting of the wildlife beings.

Regional Deputy Director of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (Eastern Region) Agni Mitra who, was the resource person, highlighted the scenario of wildlife crime in India and legal frame works and the role of WCCB and other enforcement agencies during technical session.

Mitra also dwelt on method of poaching, trafficking and concealment and trade routes, transit points and collection points.

Anirban Chaudhuri of WCS India highlighted on the method of identifying species of commonly traded wildlife and their parts, while advocate Samir Majumder dwelt on legal provisions related to wildlife crime in wildlife protection act 1972 and other relevant provisions.

Mock Court session, market raiding and the vehicle search were conducted as part of the workshop, an official communiqué informed here.

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