Difficulties in preventing and combating wildlife trafficking and transportation

(Baonghean) - Recently, the authorities have investigated and cracked down on many cases of illegal wildlife trafficking and transportation. However, with huge profits, the subjects use sophisticated tricks in wildlife trafficking and transportation, making the prevention and control work of the authorities encounter many difficulties...

At 4:00 p.m. on December 22, at Km 385, on National Highway 1A, in Quynh Thien Ward, Hoang Mai Town, detectives from Team 2, Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (Provincial Police) discovered truck with license plate 37S-5297 traveling from Nghe An to Thanh Hoa with many suspicious signs. The working group immediately coordinated with the Traffic Control Inspection Force (TTKSGT) of Dien Chau Traffic Police Station to inspect truck with license plate 37S-5297, driven by Nguyen Van Lap (born in 1980), residing in Quynh Hong Commune, Quynh Luu District.

Upon inspection, the police discovered a frozen tiger carcass on the vehicle, approximately 1.5 m long and weighing 120 kg. According to Major Tran Van Hung, Captain of Team 2 of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (Provincial Police), to successfully crack the case, the force had to spend nearly 3 months from verifying the source of information as well as monitoring all movements of the subject. According to Lap's initial statement at the investigation agency, the subject hired a stranger to transport this tiger carcass for 8 million VND, and was arrested on the way to the northern provinces for sale.

Subject Nguyen Van Lap (2nd from right) with the evidence arrested on December 22.

Previously, on October 10, on Vinh bypass road in Hung Loi commune, Hung Nguyen district, Vinh Forest Protection Department coordinated with the Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (Provincial Police) to discover and arrest car with license plate 15B-01150 driven by Nang Duc Nguyen (born in 1978), residing in Hamlet 5, Cao Minh commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, transporting 30kg of whip snake, 80kg of monitor lizard without legal documents. On June 24, in Loc village area, Thong Thu commune (Que Phong), the working group of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department (Provincial Police) coordinated with Thong Thu Border Guard Station to discover and arrest Quang Van Anh (born in 1974, residing in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district) while transporting a bear (dead) weighing 85kg...

According to statistics, since the beginning of the year, the authorities in the province have discovered and arrested 11 cases related to the trafficking and transportation of wild animals. Colonel Tran Huu Hong, Head of the Environmental Police Department (Provincial Police) said: Although the authorities have taken many measures to curb the activities of this type of crime, with huge profits, the subjects are increasingly using sophisticated tricks, making the prevention and control work of the authorities encounter many difficulties. If transported in small quantities, they are often contained in packaging, briefcases, and transported by public transport.

If the goods are rare and in large quantities, criminals often divide them into many sections and many means of transport. At the gathering points, the subjects use motorbikes to transport the goods, then send someone to scout the way. If there is no suspicion, the owner of the goods will use a mobile phone to drive the motorbikes carrying the goods to a deserted location (a winding road, a deserted road in the middle of a field, etc.) and frequently change the gathering location. On the routes, the cars carrying the goods all have "satellites" scouting the way. Along the way, the cars' license plates are constantly changed, including the blue license plates of state agencies, military and police license plates, and foreign license plates.

In some cases, the subjects also use fake police and military uniforms to deceive the authorities. Cars used to transport wild animals are usually good, high-quality vehicles and are modified to increase speed. For passenger cars with Lao license plates, which are usually 54-seat vehicles, the subjects create additional secret tunnels, hidden behind the gas tank, on the roof of the car... using baby powder to deodorize, even sealing them. Therefore, the inspection process is very difficult to detect. During the transportation process, the subjects often have a reckless, impulsive attitude, driving the car at high speed, if they encounter the authorities to check, the subjects stop the car but lock the car doors, do not get out of the car, do not cooperate. If there is an opportunity, they will find a way to run away, possibly driving straight into obstacles, into the arresting force...

As a transit area for wildlife from the southern provinces, from Laos to Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Lang Son and transported to China for consumption, the illegal import of wildlife from Laos to Nghe An through border gates and small-scale routes is still smoldering. The captive breeding of wildlife in the area is also complicated. Along with that, the current legal corridor on management as well as the form of handling violations of wildlife protection is not synchronous, unified, still light and lacking deterrence, making the situation of wildlife trafficking increasingly "hot"...

To improve the effectiveness of the fight against wildlife trafficking and transportation, in addition to promptly supplementing and synchronously perfecting the legal system in the fight against wildlife-related crimes; strengthening propaganda and education to raise awareness and responsibility of the community; promoting the role of social organizations in protecting rare wildlife species... Functional forces need to strengthen coordination to detect, arrest, and strictly and legally handle acts of violating State regulations on hunting, trading, transporting, raising, slaughtering, trading, and illegally storing wildlife species; promoting international cooperation in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking and transportation crimes involving foreign elements...

Quang An