Freeland Brazil developed the "Detection of Transnational Wildlife Trafficking" training, in collaboration with IBAMA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of International Law Enforcement and Narcotics Affairs (INL, U.S. State Department).
There were three 5-day editions, with 20 hours of 100% online training per edition, in the months of June and July of 2022, offered to Brazilian and Argentinean enforcement agents combating wildlife trafficking.
The program of the course was focused on increasing detection of cross-border wildlife trafficking and included modules on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) and its implementation in Brazil and Argentina, permit requirements for CITES-listed species, identification of fraud and falsification in permits, most trafficked species transnationally, methods of smuggling and concealment of illegal fauna and its products, evidence management, controlled deliveries, risk profile management, conduct of transnational operations against wildlife trafficking, among others.
One of the main goals of the training was to exchange experiences, challenges and needs among participants from the different institutions invited - from Brazil: IBAMA, Federal Police, Receita Federal (Federal Revenue Service) and Federal Highway Police, and from Argentina: Federal Police, Airport Security Police, Argentine Naval Prefecture and National Gendarmerie.
The course had international instructors, including former police officers and former inspector of the US Customs, as well as instructors from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and instructors and speakers from other several institutions, such as IBAMA, Brazilian Federal Police, former CITES authority from Argentine, and former airport police from Argentine.
The objective was a broad training to raise awareness of agents from different government institutions about the relevance of wildlife trafficking, the modus operandi, tools, and ways to counter this crime in collaboration with other institutions. Next year these participants will be able to register for in-person training to become instructors of this course, thus being able to replicate the training in their institutions.
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Freeland Brazil (www.freeland.org.br) mission is the conservation of biodiversity through countering wildlife trafficking. The work is divided into three main fronts: (1) Education and awareness-raising to reduce demand; (2) Scientific research and training to support the work of law enforcement agencies; (3) Public policies and international articulation to institutionalize the fight against wildlife trafficking. Freeland-Brazil is the South American branch of the Freeland Foundation (www.freeland.org), which is based in Thailand and has been developing internationally respected programs to combat human slavery and wildlife trafficking.