DRI to watch social media to curb illegal trading of endangered species

The sources said that the proliferation of internet technologies and e-commerce has been instrumental in opening new avenues for criminal activities, including illegal trade in endangered species of wildlife and flora

MUMBAI: With increasing instances of social media platforms being used for illegal trading in endangered species of wildlife fauna and flora, it poses a unique challenge for the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to curb the activities of such platforms, agency sources said.

Last July, the DRI also seized 306 live exotic animals, including tortoises and turtles, after foiling the alleged bid to smuggle them via air into India from Thailand by a suspected international wildlife trafficking racket.

The sources said that the proliferation of internet technologies and e-commerce has been instrumental in opening new avenues for criminal activities, including illegal trade in endangered species of wildlife and flora. “This shift is primarily driven by the increasing enforcement of policies against the trade in illegal wildlife products by law enforcement and platform operators on conventional internet platforms,” a source said.

Wildlife-related cybercrimes primarily involve the illicit buying and selling of endangered wild animals, plants, and their products through online platforms and in some cases, it was seen that the payment was being made through cryptocurrency, the sources said. “Many social media accounts selling trafficked wildlife have sprouted online and they are found to have a huge following. The traffickers post the availability of exotic pets on social media platforms and receive their orders,” the source said.

It has been seen that the darknet — an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software and configurations — has also been used in a few cases as a platform for the illicit trade in wildlife products, the sources said.

Sources further pointed out that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has already recognised the connection between illegal wildlife trade and the internet.

In recent months, DRI undertook several actions to curb illicit trade in wildlife. In February, DRI’s Mumbai zonal unit seized a stock of 28 lakh peacock tail feathers at Nhava Sheva Port, which were allegedly being smuggled to China via a misdeclared export cargo. The seized stock was worth ₹2.01 crore in the illicit market.

Exporting peacock tail feathers is prohibited as per Schedule 2 of the Export Policy of ITC (HS), 2018 notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade read with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Last December, the DRI intercepted an international wildlife smuggling syndicate in a separate case, apprehending an operative attempting to smuggle 11 foreign-origin snakes, including ball pythons and corn snakes. The accused, arriving from Bangkok, had allegedly concealed the 9 pythons and 2 corn snakes inside packets intended for cakes and biscuits within his check-in luggage. According to DRI sources, the import of the snakes violated the country’s import policies and the provisions of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Last July, the DRI also seized 306 live exotic animals, including tortoises and turtles, after foiling the alleged bid to smuggle them via air into India from Thailand by a suspected international wildlife trafficking racket.