Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh : With wildlife criminal networks getting more organized than ever, new technology approaches are here to detect wildlife crime, nab poachers and stepping up law enforcement. To combat the acceleration in wildlife trafficking and crime, Wildlife Trust of India jointly with Uttar Pradesh Forest Department with support from International Narcotics and Law enforcement (US Department of State) organized a two-day workshop on “Wildlife Crime Investigation – Use of digital tools” in Kanpur.

Technology has altered the trade of wildlife products and the use of internet has boosted trafficking by making the access in criminal markets easy. However, the same technology can also offer support in battling these networks and identify the offenders and bring them to justice.

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The main agenda of the workshop was to introduce the forest forces of Uttar Pradesh to digital means of criminal identification and wildlife crime control through Call Detail Record analysis. The workshop was inaugurated by Sh. Pawan Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Forces (HoFF), Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, the workshop was attended by Sh. Sunil Pandey, PCCF Wildlife (UP); Mr Sunil Chaudhary, Chief Conservator of Forest (UP); Mr Sanjay Srivastav, APCCF Eco Development (UP); Mr K.R. Yadav, Director FTI; Mr H.V. Girisha, Conservator of Forest, Wildlife Crime and Research (UP) and Mr Jose Louise, Chief and Deputy Director, Wildlife Crime Control Division, Wildlife Trust of India.

Mr Manoj Dubey and Mr Ketan Desai, professional cyber-crime trainers, ensured that the trainees got valuable digital tools and techniques to combat wildlife crime and discussed various aspects of Call Detail Record analysis. The primary focus on the second day of the workshop was to provide the trainees from Indian Forest Services with practical experience of using Call Detail Record analysis software and several other advanced analysis techniques to control wildlife crime. Mr Manoj Dubey and Mr Ketan Desai, professional CDR analysis trainers, shared their practical experiences of cybercrime case analysis with the trainees. Additionally, they performed demo exercises of CDR analysis on the user-friendly software developed by them. Mr A Pragatheesh, the senior official from Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and wildlife crime investigation expert, provided the trainees with exposure to various other analysis techniques like Link-Chart Analysis apart from CDR Analysis. The sessions were interactive and exciting with quick light moments in between.

Summing up the workshop, the concluding session was addressed by Mr Jose Louise, followed by certificate distribution to the trainees.

Workshops like these, aid the enforcement agencies in effective implementation of wildlife crime control measures. Wildlife Trust of India, in partnership with respective State Forest Departments, has put in continuous efforts to organize training for the agencies to ensure thriving and secure wildlife.