While poaching and wildlife crime are on the rise with high-tech criminals posing new threats online, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a Central wildlife crime investigation agency, is grappling with lack of staff. Of 109 sanctioned posts, at least 38 are lying vacant. Shockingly, the Bureau, an arm of the Union Environment Ministry, which was set up way back in 2007, does not even have a public prosecutor. Acute shortage of inspectors, constables and clerical staff are also hampering its day-to-day functioning, including collecting and collating Intelligence related to organised wildlife crime. The Bureau has to send these information to the States and other enforcement agencies to track and apprehend the criminals. Three posts of deputy directors of IFS ranks are vacant at Jabalpur, Mumbai and Delhi while one post of Joint Director is empty in Delhi. Posts of two Assistant Directors and Directors are yet to be filled up at the headquarters in Delhi. While experts have been warning that the main reason for the unabated wildlife trafficking across India is its porous international land borders, five border posts at Nathula, Motihaari, Gorakhpur, Ramanathapuram, and More in Manipur are lying vacant. Recently, the WCCB submitted an ambitious proposal to the Government to sanction 125 additional posts to effectively combat growing wildlife crime in the country. In view of shortage of staff, the WCCB has been banking on armed forces to help it combat the wildlife crimes. It has been sensitising armed forces such as Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Coast Guard, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Railway Police Force (RPF), Sasastra Seema Bal (SSB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and police forces of States and Union Territories to combat wildlife offences and ensure timely and uniform reporting of such crime. Various studies estimate the illicit wildlife trade to be worth about USD 5 billion, the fourth largest smuggling market on the transnational crimes scene (after drugs, weapons, and human trafficking). Various seizures point to the large and international nature of illegal wildlife trade in India. They also illustrate the increasingly organised and sophisticated operations of criminal syndicates involved in the trade. For instance, in March this year, in Maharashtra alone the WCCB along with an NGO cracked down on 19 cases of illegal wildlife trade including star turtles, parrots, cobras and sand boas between 2016 and 2017. The country’s overall wildlife crime scene is alarming. A recent book titled “State of India’s Environment 2017: In Figures” suggests a worrying 52 per cent increase in poaching and wildlife crimes between 2014 and 2016. Over 30,382 wildlife crimes have been recorded till December 31, 2016, by the Centre for Science and Environment, which has sourced the information from the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). Even the number of species that are poached or illegally traded in the country increased from 400 in 2014 to 465 in 2016. “No wonder, both the country’s national animal and bird are at high risk. In 2016, 50 tigers were poached, which is the highest in the past decade. Meanwhile, 340 peacocks were killed because of poaching between 2015 and 2016, which 193 per cent higher than that of 2014. Blackbuck, blue bull, chinkara, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros, spotted deer, and the wild boar are also highly threatened,” the book said. Even turtles and pangolin are at high risk. Around 37,267 turtles were seized between 2015 and 2016. In January this year, the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police seized 6,430 endangered soft shell and flap shell turtles from a house in Amethi district. This was believed to be one of the largest turtle hauls in the country so far. A report titled “The Environmental Crime Crisis,” which focuses on the consequences of environmental crime, argues that the situation has worsened to the extent that the impacts of illegal wildlife trade are now acknowledged to undermine not only the environmental but also economies and livelihoods, governance, and the rule of law.