HAPEVILLE, Ga. — Law enforcement officers in Metro Atlanta are learning about a connection between wildlife poaching and human trafficking.
“The Wildlife Academy is unique in the world, and we train forensic science for wildlife rangers, veterinarians, police officers and prosecutors and actually customs officers,” Andro Vos of the Wildlife Forensic Academy.
Law enforcement officials, judges and educators are learning how wildlife crime has made its way into the United States from Africa--China--even Russia.
“Wildlife crime is called a facilitating form of organized crime because poachers, they create routes,” Vos said. “The routes are not controlled by the police. And due to the fact that they are not controlled, human traffickers, drug traffickers, armed traffickers use the same routes.
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Greg Simpson is a veterinarian from South Africa, and has worked in the United Kingdom, Central Asia, and Africa educating people about why poachers are a health threat to the nation.
“It is bigger than you think. And certainly, it is a big problem, these products coming from outside. We also have seen products being moved within the U.S.,” Dr. Greg Simpson of the Wildlife Forensic Academy told Channel 2 Action News anchor Karyn Greer.
These wildlife officials are tracing the country to spread awareness about the problem and give law enforcement officials ways to stop it.
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“Keep in the back of your mind if you come across something that might be linked to an environmental crime, to someone trafficking an animal or a plant, that that is illegal and you need to keep, you know, keep your eyes open,” Simpson said.
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