TRAFFIC Offers Military Training to Boost Wildlife Crime Investigation

TRAFFIC Offers Military Training to Boost Wildlife Crime Investigation

Enforcement officers from 11 agencies working across one of Peninsular Malaysia’s most important wildlife landscapes took part in a two-day intensive training session to boost wildlife crime investigation in the area.

Participants from the Royal Malaysian Police, Anti-Smuggling Unit and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, working in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, were drilled in wildlife legislation, investigation techniques, informant handling as well as evidence collection and handling.

Officers from the Royal Malaysian Customs, Forestry Department, Marine Police, District Office, Perak State Parks Corporation, People’s Volunteer Corps, Immigration Department and the Armed Forces also participated.

The workshop organized by TRAFFIC Southeast Asia in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia and the Hulu Perak District Office was designed to strengthen investigations and increase the rate of prosecution in a landscape long considered an illegal hunting and trade hotspot.

The forest complex is a globally important Tiger landscape and is also home to other endangered species such as pangolins that often turn up in raids.

The investigation course was helmed by a former senior police investigator with 20 years of experience working on serious crimes. The course aimed to close knowledge gaps and equip officers on the frontline with the confidence, skills and tools to fight wildlife crime.

The thirty enforcement officers join the ranks of 2,500 others that received training from TRAFFIC on species identification, wildlife trade regulations and investigations since 2009.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday April 25 2012, 2:56 AM EST. Ref: TRAFFIC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0