TEZPUR, May 23 ? Considering the large scale illegal trade on wildlife contraband which has been regarded as the second most profitable business for smugglers and international dens, next only to narcotics, the ?Charwa Gunners? of the Indian Army apart from the strenuous task of counter insurgency operation has undertaken the ?Save Kaziranga Operations?, at the world famous Kaziranga National Park, the home of one horned Asiatic Rhino.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, official sources said that India has been an importer, exporter and a conduit for wildlife contraband that touches volumes of almost 25 billion dollar in annual global illegal trade. The rhino poaching in the world famous KNP in the past few years could be minimized because of the dedicated service rendered by forest officials with the active support of the Army, the official claimed adding that Assam can be regarded as the gateway to wildlife trade in South East Asia.
Giving details about the modus operandi of the trade in the international market, the officer said Nepal?s open border with India, lack of proper legislation and coordination between the concerned authorities continue to hinder the task of combating illegal trade in endangered and threatened species like tiger, leopards and rhino in country. Illegal trade in bones, horn, skins, musk and other organs extracted from endangered animals like the Royal Bengal Tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, bear, Tibetan antelope, musk deer, spotted and snow leopards and critically endangered python has often been noticed in Nepal and thereafter they are transported to China, one of the biggest consumers of these products.
The key entry points of wildlife contraband being transported to and from India are Kakarbitta and Biratnagar region in Eastern Nepal, Birganj area in Central Nepal, Bhairahawa, Nepalganj, Dhangadi and Mahendranagar area in the western Nepal. Even the general area Kathmandu remained a key site for the wildlife trade, the official said.
Myanmar is another country which has been playing a pivotal role in transporting the wildlife contrabands to other Asian country including China, Thailand, Hongkong, Korea and Taiwan, the official said and added that Myanmar also happens to be one of the dens of illegal arms supplier for the insurgents of North East. Sources further disclosed that anti-poaching operations at the Kaziranga National Park has been intensified after an intelligence information was received regarding the rhino poaching in India especially in Assam in 2002-2003.
To get an idea of the money involved one rhino horn could fetch upto Rs 16,00.000 per kg in the international market in Kathmandu or Hongkong, the official said adding that a kilogram of tiger bone could fetch upto Rs 40,000 in the international market. Illegal ivory trade could fetch around Rs 20,00,000 per year while skin and bones of other animals could also fetch the same amount per annum, the sources added.