國際刑警組織和印度中央調查局近日召開為期5天的會議，與會者包括來自8個國家的警察人員、海關和野生動物保護官員。印度環境部長Jayanthi Natarajan 5日於會議上指出，證據顯示野生動物犯罪集團和恐怖組織有所關聯。「非法野生動物買賣正破壞各國保護其自然資源的努力。中央調查局想必非常了解，最近的證據顯示，部分非法野生動物買賣集團和恐怖組織有關。」
印度中央調查局局長Ranjit Sinha表示，野生動物買賣現已是具高度組織性和龐大網絡的跨國犯罪。Sinha說，老虎是「自然世界活生生的象徵」，呼籲加強國際情治和執法單位的密切合作，共同打擊野生動物犯罪。
印度野生動物犯罪防治局、印度國家老虎保育局和國際野生動物貿易調查委員會（TRAFFIC）印度分會合作，共同為「南亞野生動植物執法網」（South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network, SAWEN）的八國執法人員舉辦工作坊。此執法網絡包含了阿富汗、孟加拉國、不丹、印度、馬爾代夫、尼泊爾、巴基斯坦和斯里蘭卡等八國。
與會者討論的焦點包括國家環境安全專案小組、打擊老虎盜獵新措施、非法盜獵的走向、老虎基因組計畫、野生動物採證、網絡鑑識和DNA分析、追查野生動物走私犯以及如何起訴野生動物犯罪等議題。
SAWEN秘書處的Maheshwar Dhakal博士強調，八國的執法單位應透過網路合作和資訊共享，培育出打擊南亞地區野生動物犯罪的能力。
TRAFFIC印度分部領導人Shekhar Kumar Niraj博士說，「結合全球響應的力量，落實南亞地區的執法能力，才是杜絕野生動物犯罪的唯一途徑。」
「從事保育工作50年，今日野生動物買賣的規模為前所未見。我們的野生動物，特別是老虎、大象和犀牛，正面臨空前的威脅。我們還有一場硬仗要打。」
Natarajan並代表印度政府宣示，將全力支持野生虎和所有亞洲虎的保育工作。
There is evidence that some wildlife crime syndicates are linked to terror groups, India’s Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told a meeting Friday of police, customs and wildlife officers from eight countries.
At the five-day meeting co-convened by Interpol’s Environmental Crime Program and India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI, Natarajan said, “The existence of illegal wildlife trade undermines efforts made by a country to protect their natural resources. Recent evidence points at, as CBI must be knowing, some of the networks are linked with terror groups.”
Opening the meeting, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha described wildlife crime as a highly organized, transnational crime conducted by an extensive network of criminals.
Referring to tigers as the “greatest living symbol of our natural world,” Sinha called for greater coordination between intelligence and law enforcement agencies across international borders.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in India, National Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC India were partners in the workshop held for law enforcement officials from the eight countries in the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network, SAWEN: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Participants focused on National Environmental Security Task Forces; new initiatives in tiger poaching; trends in seizures; tiger genome projects; wildlife forensics, cyber forensics and DNA analysis; investigating wildlife smugglers and effective prosecution of wildlife crimes.
Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal of the Bhutan-based SAWEN Secretariat highlighted the need for capacity building of law enforcement agencies of the eight SAWEN countries through networking and information sharing to combat wildlife crime in the South Asia region.
“A concentrated global response, and empowering the South Asian region to act, is the only way that the menace of illegal wildlife trade can be dealt with,” said Niraj.
“In 50 years of conservation, we have not seen wildlife trade at the scale we see today,” she said. “It is the greatest threat to some of our wildlife species like the tiger, elephant and rhinoceros. The battle is far from won.”
Natarajan pledged her country’s support for the conservation of wild tigers and all Asian big cats.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
