Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)

Context

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has formed a 4-member WCCB team to investigate the suspected international wildlife-trafficking link behind the recovery of five juvenile orangutans from Bichitrapur forest in Balasore, Odisha.

About WCCB

• It is a statutory, multidisciplinary body under the MoEF&CC, established in 2007 under Section 38Y of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; it became operational in 2008.
• It brings together officials from Police, Forest/Wildlife, Customs and other enforcement agencies to combat organised wildlife crime.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Regional offices: Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Jabalpur; it also has 3 sub-regional offices and 5 border units.
• Key role: wildlife-crime intelligence, inter-agency coordination, international cooperation, scientific investigation and policy support.

Key Functions

1. Intelligence: Collects, analyses and shares information on organised wildlife crime and maintains a central crime database.
2. Coordination: Coordinates Central and State agencies for effective enforcement.
3. International cooperation: Supports India’s obligations under international wildlife conventions and works with foreign agencies.
4. Investigation: Promotes scientific investigation, species identification and prosecution of wildlife offences.
5. Policy support: Advises the government on wildlife-crime laws, policies and emerging threats.

International Linkages and Technology

1. CITES: WCCB supports enforcement of India’s obligations under CITES and controls illegal wildlife trade.
2. Global coordination: Works with INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) against transnational wildlife trafficking.
3. Technology: Its Wildlife Crime Database Management System analyses crime trends and supports prevention and investigation.

Significance

1. Crime Control: Strengthens action against organised and transnational wildlife trafficking.
2. Enforcement: Helps trace trafficking networks and improve cross-border coordination.

3. Capacity Building: Strengthens scientific investigation and prosecution by training enforcement personnel and improving species identification and wildlife-crime investigation skills.

FAQs

Q1. What is the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau?
Ans: WCCB is a statutory multidisciplinary body under MoEF&CC that deals with organised wildlife crime and supports intelligence, investigation and inter-agency coordination.

Q2. Under which provision was WCCB established?
Ans: It was established under Section 38Y of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Q3. Where is the headquarters of WCCB located?
Ans: Its headquarters is in New Delhi.