The bureau was first established in May 2022 and was also integrated with the Police Special Investigations and Intelligence Unit.
This integration is intended to leverage the force’s strengths and experience in intelligence gathering and investigations. As a result, the department’s staffing increased from 50 to 78 people.
It has been renamed the Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Investigation and Intelligence Division and is now under the direction of Senior Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Azrin Sadari.
The establishment of the Wildlife Crime Bureau embodies the government’s commitment to the conservation of Malayan tigers. The facility was established at a time when the threat to tigers and the interest of poachers in targeting them was high. ”
Malaysian Police Inspector-General Tan Sri Lazaruddin Hussain.
Although recently established, the agency has already achieved notable successes, collaborating with various enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations to protect tigers and nature reserves.we.
Despite this, Malayan tigers remain under great threat, with an estimated population of fewer than 150 individuals in the wild. Recent incidents, such as the jailing of an individual found illegally in possession of a dead tiger cub and two tiger skins in Malaysia earlier this year, highlight the urgency of combating illegal activities.
“However, the WCB not only protects the Malayan tiger, but also strives to ensure that the survival of all natural resources is ensured and not easily depleted through illegal activities,” he told reporters after the launch event attended by TRAFFIC. .
The bureau will conduct thorough investigations related to various natural resource crimes, including illegal mining of rare earths, gold, and timber.
Mr. Lazaruddin confirmed that all available laws will be used to fight natural resource crimes, including firearms, anti-money laundering laws and even security crimes laws.
Situations in which poachers illegally extract multiple natural resources from Malaysian forests, and illegal fishermen who collect and traffic both terrestrial and marine protected species at the same time, are both high concentrations of nature crime. , indicating that it is complex. ”
Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director of Southeast Asia Traffic. 
“The Department’s wide-ranging powers clearly recognize this and the need for new approaches to tackling wildlife crime. We commend the force for stepping up its efforts to tackle this issue. ” she added.
The police, in collaboration with Peninsular Malaysia Wildlife and National Parks Authority (PERHILITAN) and Royal Malaysian Customs, are spearheading a task force of enforcement agencies that jointly tackle wildlife crime. TRAFFIC has been involved with the Task Force since its establishment in 2019 and has participated in its bi-annual meetings along with several other Malaysian conservation organizations.
From January to September this year, agencies under the task force recorded 192 wildlife crimes, resulting in 175 arrests and the seizure of wild animals and forest products.
These statistics were revealed by Federal Police Internal Security and Security Department director-general Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali after the 14th task force meeting following the launch event.
