Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

In one line: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that fights organised wildlife crime.

Its mandate

Created by the 2006 amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it collects and shares intelligence on organised wildlife crime, maintains a crime database, coordinates with State forest and police departments, customs and other agencies, and assists foreign authorities and international bodies in cross-border cases. It also advises the government on wildlife crime issues with national and international implications.

Why it is in the news

The op-ed argues that tiger crime is a network problem, which is exactly the kind of work the WCCB was set up to do, but that it needs deeper coordination across the whole landscape and a focus on the money behind the trade.

Where to go next

• TRAFFIC and CITES
• Project Tiger and the NTCA