Wildlife Crime Unit Established in UK

Interesting article about the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) in the UK.

The NWCU was established almost two years ago in North Berwick to co-ordinate a UK-wide crackdown on an international black market worth up to £6 billion a year. Its eight officers cover the whole of the UK.

Consequences of wildlife crime are far reaching, with the profits from the illegal trade of plants and animals used to fund other criminal activities such as drug smuggling and people trafficking.

Since the establishment of the NWCU, specialist officers and prosecutors have started to make a real impact and prosecutions have risen dramatically.

"Wildlife crime is like any other crime and is now slowly getting on to the radar in terms of it being a priority among police forces," says Brian Stuart, whose career with Lothian and Borders Police spans almost 20 years.