A Changing Face of Poaching
For decades, poaching in India was largely driven by local hunters operating with rudimentary tools and small-scale smuggling networks. However, in the last three years, a new-age poaching mafia has emerged—one that leverages technology, digital payment systems, and hawala networks to orchestrate large-scale tiger killings.
An extensive investigation involving five state authorities, four central agencies, and Interpol has exposed a sophisticated poaching syndicate responsible for the deaths of over 100 tigers since 2022. This network operates across India’s tiger reserves, with deep links to illegal trade routes leading to Nepal and Myanmar. Unlike traditional poachers, these criminals have adopted digital banking, high-speed transport, and coordination with arms and drug syndicates to evade authorities.
Uncovering the Syndicate: A High-Tech Operation
Unlike conventional poaching rings, this new-age network is structured to be leaner, faster, and more difficult to trace. The modus operandi involves:
- Minimal Middlemen: Instead of using intermediaries, the syndicate relies on hired transporters to move contraband safely.
- Digital Transactions: Payments are tracked through digital banking and hawala networks, making financial trails harder to follow.
- Multiple Supply Routes: While one branch operates through Myanmar, other offshoots smuggle tiger parts via Nepal and Tibet.
- Coordination with Other Crimes: The network has ties to narcotics and arms smuggling, creating a complex web of illegal trade.
Disturbing Numbers: The Scale of the Crisis
Sources indicate that transactions worth Rs 7.5–8 crore have been traced, with each tiger’s skin and bones selling for Rs 8–12 lakh. This means that at least 90 tigers have been confirmed poached, but the real number could be significantly higher when factoring in undiscovered networks.
For perspective, India has only 3,682 tigers according to the 2022 national estimate, and just eight out of its 58 tiger reserves house 100 or more tigers. Even a fraction of this illegal activity is devastating to the nation’s conservation efforts.
Ranthambhore’s Missing Tigers: A Case Study
One of India’s most famous reserves, Ranthambhore in Rajasthan, has seen 40 tigers disappear since the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these, about 20 were attributed to natural causes or inter-species conflicts, but the fate of the remaining 20 tigers remains a mystery. Experts suspect poaching played a role, particularly after the local community-watch scheme was discontinued in 2021.
The Systemic Gaps Enabling Poaching
The investigation has revealed critical lapses in enforcement and oversight:
Failure to Act on Past Arrests: Key poaching figures Sonu Singh Bawaria (arrested in July 2023 in Maharashtra) and Ajeet Siyalal Pardhi (arrested in July 2024 in Madhya Pradesh) were released on bail, allowing them to resume operations.
Weak Wildlife Crime Control: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been without a dedicated chief since August 2022, weakening its ability to counter poaching threats.
Unintended Consequences of Public Data: The WCCB maintains a public database of convicted poachers, which, ironically, has been used by crime syndicates to recruit skilled individuals.
A Tech-Savvy Poaching Network
Investigators based in Nagpur found that modern poachers are far more technologically adept than their predecessors. Despite limited education, they efficiently manage online banking, track payments, and book flights to evade detection.
Instead of personally transporting tiger parts, they use professional courier services. They send bones and skins via transporters with storage facilities, then fly or take trains to retrieve and deliver the goods in key transit hubs like Shillong.
The Role of Ex-Military Personnel
The investigation has also implicated former and active military personnel in aiding this illegal trade:
- Lalneisung: A retired Assam Regiment soldier who has played a key role in logistics.
- Kap Lian Mung: A serving Assam Rifles soldier linked to his wife, Ning San Lun, who allegedly stored over 500 photos of trafficked tiger parts on her phone.
Sophisticated Smuggling Tactics
One of the most alarming revelations is the use of new techniques to transport tiger parts.
Chemical Treatment: Poachers apply powdered alum to fresh bones to eliminate odor and avoid detection.
Bone Glue Trade: Fresh tiger bones, particularly rich in marrow, are in high demand in Vietnam, where they are stewed into a gelatinous substance used to make tiger bone wine.
Connections to Narcotics and Arms Smuggling
While tracking fugitive poachers in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district, investigators uncovered a 1,000-kg stockpile of ganja. This suggests that wildlife crime syndicates may be expanding into narcotics trafficking.
Additionally, recent arrests in Shillong were traced to the Happy Town neighborhood, known for harbouring non-Khasi groups involved in illegal arms and wildlife trade. Officials suspect insurgent groups are offering protection in exchange for trafficking services.
The Need for Stronger Action
In response to the crisis, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has initiated a multi-agency Special Investigation Group to coordinate efforts across states. However, experts warn that without a dedicated leadership team at the WCCB, poaching networks will continue to flourish.
The Fight Against Poaching Needs Urgency
India’s tiger conservation success story is now at risk due to a technologically advanced, well-funded, and highly mobile poaching syndicate. With over 100 tigers already lost, immediate action is required to strengthen enforcement, close financial loopholes, and ensure that previous failures—such as releasing known poaching leaders—do not repeat.
Wildlife protection agencies must upgrade their investigative methods, embrace technology, and enhance cross-border cooperation to dismantle these networks before the damage becomes irreversible. Without swift intervention, India’s hard-earned gains in tiger conservation could be undone within a matter of years.
(With The Indian Express inputs)
