Wildlife crime in West Africa is often perpetrated by sophisticated criminal syndicates. These groups know how to expertly cover their tracks via fraud, corruption, and complex financial accounting, enabling them to evade law enforcement efforts. Gathering criminal intelligence therefore plays a vital role in combating wildlife crime. Without the necessary information alerting enforcement teams to criminal activity, uncovering the trafficked wildlife and prosecuting criminals will remain a significant challenge.
Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Forces
Born Free USA has been providing intelligence training and mentoring to West African Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Forces (WLETFs) since 2022. “Basic Intelligence” enforcement training was delivered to Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force members from Nigeria and Ghana in 2023 to provide basic law enforcement intelligence skills necessary for the units to function proactively. Participants were trained in how to convert information to intelligence, the security of intelligence and how to collect, handle, and preserve digital evidence.
Then in 2024, the WLETFs, received additional training focused on skills necessary to establish and successfully manage a Human Intelligence (HUMINT) network program within the WLETF.
Establishing HUMINT Hotlines
As a result of the Basic Intelligence and HUMINT training initiatives, the Ghana and Nigeria WLETFs are now skilled in using intelligence. However, until recently, there remained a gap in their enforcement toolkit – the lack of a mechanism for informers to confidentially report crime.
The use of hotlines means that anyone can phone in and report crime without fear of reprisals. It also means that WLETFs are much more likely to be provided with actionable intelligence that they can quickly act upon, in order to identify, apprehend and prosecute criminals.
Public Awareness Is Key
Born Free USA, as an implementing partner for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs ‘Enhancing wildlife law enforcement capacity in West Africa’ project, has recently supported the establishment of HUMINT hotlines in Ghana and Nigeria with a similar initiative led in Benin. This has been combined with a broad public awareness campaign to ensure that communities across each country are aware of the hotlines and how they operate.
We anticipate that this will encourage enhanced public engagement and awareness in conservation initiatives, which not only provides a mechanism for reporting but also creates a deterrent against illicit activities.
Born Free USA is delighted with this progress and anticipates that these hotlines will significantly enhance efforts to identify wildlife criminals. We will report back on this blog about hotline success stories!
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Alice
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The Born Free USA Team
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