The recent videos of rescued orangutan babies in Odisha have sparked conversations across social media. For many people, it may be the first glimpse into the disturbing reality of global wildlife trafficking. Behind every such rescue lies a much larger, organized criminal network.
It reminded me of an operation from about three years ago.
We received an intelligence input from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau about an inter-state wildlife trafficking syndicate. Wildlife and wildlife derivatives were being smuggled from Myanmar through the porous borders of Moreh in Manipur before being moved to different parts of India.
The only clue we had was a mobile phone number.
From that single lead, my team began piecing together the network. We tracked the phone’s movement, identified the routes, and soon realized that the traffickers were not travelling in the ways one would normally expect. They frequently flew by air or travelled in First and Second AC coaches of long-distance trains; places that attracted less suspicion and were also less stressful for transporting live animals.
Eventually, we tracked three suspects. Using technical intelligence, we identified the train they were travelling on. From there we traced their PNR, located their exact berths, and intercepted them at the right place. They were carrying wildlife contraband.
What struck me most was their confidence. They laughed at the arrest. They claimed they would walk free within days, produce documents, and even threatened some of our staff.
But investigations don’t end with an arrest.
For the next two years, our investigating officers worked relentlessly. Every piece of evidence was documented carefully. Witnesses stood firm. Charge sheets were filed within time. Every procedural requirement was followed meticulously.
The result was worth the effort.
All three accused were convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
That case was only one among many. Over the years, we have dismantled several wildlife trafficking networks, each revealing how sophisticated and well-connected these criminal syndicates are. Last year alone we have convictions in 22 such cases.
One thing I have learned is that wildlife trafficking rarely exists in isolation. The same routes, the same facilitators, and sometimes the same criminal networks are often linked with narcotics, counterfeit currency, and other forms of organized crime.
Someday, I hope to write about these investigations; not to sensationalize them, but to reveal the unseen world.
(Few stories are tagged in my pinned tweet on profile).
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