Tag : Often

New Delhi: The routes used to smuggle wildlife across countries and continents are often the same routes used to traffic weapons, drugs and people, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said in an annual report. The porous international borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, China and other Southeast Asian countries and a growing aviation market make the fight against the illegal wildlife trade increasingly difficult in India, said the report which was released by Union Finance Minister Sitharaman on Monday, December 5. Among others, the report also said the anonymity offered by the internet and social media and the emergence of dark net and cryptocurrency has led to an increase in this illegal trade. While the air route is used for trafficking wild fauna, the land and sea borders of the country are majorly used for the smuggling of flora. A dark net or darknet is an overlay network within the internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorisation, and often uses a unique customised communication protocol. The report said DRI plays a pivotal role in tackling environmental crimes across international borders and that Customs formations across India have also made some significant seizures. It said during 2021-22 the seizures include 4,762 numbers of Indian star tortoise and 145 MT (in 25 cases) of red sanders seized while being attempted for export. Similarly, 77 numbers of exotic birds were seized while being imported into the country. Some of the most smuggled wildlife goods are red sanders, ambergris, reptiles, exotic species, seahorses and elephant tusks, among others. Red Sanders In India, red sanders grow in southern tropical dry deciduous forests mainly in Palakonda and Shesh ...