Animal trafficking via Bangladesh continues

Illegal wildlife trafficking through Bangladesh continues.  The animals are transferred by air and later sent to different points of the country by road.

They are then trafficked to India, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Singapore and other countries.

A total of 8,247 trafficked animals were seized in the last six years, from 2012 to July 2018. The police confiscated lion and cheetah cubs along with zebras in two smuggling incidents in the past seven months.

On 6 August, 769 animals including monkeys and love birds were seized from the cargo area of the airport.

Several police officers said lions, crocodiles, zebras, love birds and other animals are seized frequently in Dhaka, border areas and in other parts of the country, but the culprits remain out of reach. Those who are detained are soon freed on bail.

The police seized nine zebras, two lions and two cheetahs on 13 November and on 8 May from Jashore but the smugglers could not be identified as yet.

A six-member inquiry committee headed by Md. Jahidul Kabir, conservator of forests (Wildlife and Nature Conversation Circle), has been formed by the environment, forest and climate change ministry over the confiscation of the 13 animals. A deputy secretary, duty investigator, an investigation directorate official, an additional police super of Jashore police and two officials of forestry department are on the committee formed on 6 July.

 Till now 10 among the seized ones have survived as the zebra and two of the cheetah cubs died.

The committee has been asked to submit a report identifying the responsible individuals, groups and institutions after field level investigations.

Trafficking in the same way

No private organisation can import or export wild animals without the forestry department's permission. A CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) clearance that the animals and plants are not endangered is essential for this.

In Bangladesh, the certificate is issued by the forestry department.

A huge number of wildlife animals are being transferred by air every year to the country without the certificate. There were 7,002 tortoises, 1,067 birds and 160 mammals among the 8,247 animals seized at the Shahjalal International Airport by the wildlife crime control unit.

Several officials from the law enforcing agencies including the forestry department said most of the confiscated tortoises were brought from India. The rest of animals like lions and monkeys were brought from South Africa.

As the animals are trafficked by cargo aircraft they are cleared fast from the airport with forged documents. They are kept at different places and generally not kept for more than 10 days at a stretch anywhere.

The officials also said many of the animals are taken to Uttara and nearby areas. They are then trafficked to India at the soonest opportunity. 

The air route is used to traffic the tortoises to China, Thailand, Singapore. The shells of the tortoise are used in making jewellry boxes and wallets.

Tortoise meat is cooked and served at restaurants in Thailand and Singapore. The lions and tigers are trafficked to India via Bangladesh to evade taxes.

Abu Naser Mohsin, assisant conservator of forests, who led the 6 August operations said, three institutions--Infobiz In, Bd Innovative Live stocks in Bhatara, Sajin Enterprise in Uttara were importing the animals from South Africa using false addresses.

Sources said though some animals were seized, most of them could not be saved. The common marmoset monkeys and parrots among the recovered 170 animals from the airport in 2013, were kept at a temporary recovery centre of the forestry department at Bhurulia in Jaydebpur, Gazipur. Most of the animals died there. A year later, several monkeys and birds were taken to the Bangabandhu Safari Park and the monkeys did not survive either.

"Wild animals trafficking is a billion dollar business. The traffickers use our routes. Illegal arms import is linked with this. The traffickers may change this route if we can create pressure. The animals are being seized as we are active. We are trying to identify the ones at the centre of the trade," said Jahir Uddin deputy forestry conservator.

Sloppy investigations, defendants freed on bails

Jashore district police filed charges over the confiscations of the cubs of zebra, lion and cheetah. Four in the case of zebras and five in the case of cheetah cubs trafficking cases were named as defendants.

Rana, Kamruzzaman, Mukti, Yasin were named in both of the cases. Another Syed Ali Shahbaz, from Mirpur-12, has been named in the cubs trafficking case.

The owner of the Prado SUV carrying the cubs has been exempted from charges.

Rana and Kamruzzaman were arrested with the cheetah and lion cubs from Chanchra check post of Jashore on 13 November. Primary investigations said a man named Jasim asked them to take the cubs to Jashore. They rented the Prado that was carrying a number of cages, with Tk 30,000 from Jashim Uddin Road of Uttara in the capital.

Kamruzzaman and Rana were granted bail a few days after they were sent to jail. The investigation did not verify how the cubs reached the border area.

"Idris Ali and Mukti controlled the whole matter of animal trafficking in Jashore," said Jashore police super Anisur Rahman. The Prado vehicle was seized as evidence of the lion and cheetah trafficking. The vehicle was a smuggled one. But the owner cleared away the vehicle by the order of the court.

Jashore police said the chief defendant Yasin received bail surrendering at the court before the charge sheet was submitted. Anisur Rahman though said the Interpol has issued a red alert on Yasin.

Trafficking case defendant 'animal lover'!

The armed police battalion (APBN) seized a total of 179 animals on 3 January 2013 from Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka. The animals were bought from South Africa saying that they would be taken to Karachi, Pakistan.

The animals were brought to Dhaka instead of Karachi by Qatar Airways. The forestry department filed a case against Nazmul Huda with the Airport police station under the wildlife act. The case is still not disposed of.

Nazmul Huda secured a bail in the case from the High Court on 14 January 2013. The same Nazmul Huda was appointed to take care of the animals of Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur by the forestry department. The forests conservator Tapan Kumar Dey claimed at that time that Nazmul was a devoted animal lover and experienced one.

Raju Traders owned by Nazmul Huda was appointed to take care of the animals of the Safari park without any tender. They were in charge of selling tickets for Macao Land, aquariums, paddle boat riding, peacock shade, parrot aviary and so on.

* This report has been re-written in English by Nusrat Nowrin.