State to set up dedicated wildlife crime cell

Maharashtra will establish a Wildlife Crime Control Cell to combat organized wildlife crimes, enhancing coordination and enforcement efforts.

MUMBAI: The state government has cleared a proposal to establish a Maharashtra State Wildlife Crime Control Cell to tackle wildlife offences in a more coordinated and effective manner. The plan was approved by the standing committee of the state wildlife board last month, with minutes finalised recently.

State to set up dedicated wildlife crime cell

The minutes note that while wildlife protection efforts have improved and populations have risen in Maharashtra, crimes such as poaching, illegal hunting and wildlife trade have become more organised and complex. This has created the need for a specialised, intelligence-led unit with trained staff, better coordination and modern tools.

The proposed Cell will handle serious cases spanning multiple forest divisions, other states and even international networks. It will maintain a database of offences and offenders, track repeat violators, support field staff with legal and technical inputs, and use advanced software for monitoring and enforcement. It will also coordinate with agencies such as the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, TRAFFIC, the Central Bureau of Investigation and other organisations, while maintaining records of court cases and confidential intelligence.

Headquartered in Nagpur under the Chief Wildlife Warden, the Cell will include one Divisional Forest Officer, one Assistant Conservator of Forests, two Range Forest Officers, two Foresters and five Forest Guards, mostly through redeployment.

The state, which has major tiger reserves like Tadoba Andhari, Pench and Melghat, currently relies on patrol-focused protection forces. “The Cell will strengthen enforcement through intelligence-led action,” said Dr Anish Andheria, president, Wildlife Conservation Trust.