Myanmar poaching pathway
The Myanmar poaching pathway has been laid bare. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed how traffickers bypassed protected zones, killing an estimated 100 tigers over the past five years and moving their parts across the Indo-Myanmar border. The network ran through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and into Myanmar, where traffickers operated with ease thanks to ethnic ties and porous routes.
The case exposed a chain of Pardhi and Bawariya hunting tribes, mule agents, hawala operators, and even serving and former Assam Rifles personnel. Bank accounts linked to families living under tarpaulins showed lakhs in unexplained transactions. Skins were shipped only as proof of authenticity, while bones fueled the illegal trade in Chinese and Vietnamese medicine markets.
Fifteen arrests have been made, but fourteen others remain at large, including Myanmar nationals. Without stronger intelligence, cyber monitoring, and action against hunting tribes, the pathway stays open. Every missing safeguard leaves tigers vulnerable, every gap another entry point for tiger poaching.
The Myanmar poaching pathway article:
Based on Newslaundry, India.
Photo via Newslaundry.
