To address the threat of IWT and the involvement of organised crime, the WJC works closely with law enforcement agencies and governments to improve the capability of the mandated agencies to address IWT. We do this by providing technical and operational support based on needs assessments and requests from our law enforcement partners. This support may include undercover support, the provision of equipment or systems and platforms.
Training and mentoring
We also provide specialised intelligence and investigations training ranging from basic to advanced. We then operationalise what is learned in theory with our mentoring programme. This takes the skill sets learnt in the training and applies them to real life cases. We have had outstanding success using this model, particularly in Thailand and Mozambique.
To date, we have provided training and mentoring focused on building capabilities in 11 countries. We offer the following training courses and modules:
- Basic Investigations
- Advanced Investigations
- Online Investigations
- Undercover Operations
- Surveillance
- Basic Intelligence
- Advanced Intelligence
- Open-Source Research
- Financial Analysis
- Basic Phone Analysis
- Advanced Phone Analysis Course
- Training courses for Judges and Prosecutors
Project Galvanise
In April 2021, the Wildlife Justice Commission commenced a three-year project, generously funded by the Postcode Lottery, to expand our in-house Intelligence Development Unit (IDU) into a global Intelligence Development Unit to combat and prevent wildlife crime.
As the first of its kind, this global IDU supported multinational efforts to fight wildlife crime in real time and drove the use of intelligence in Southeast Asia. This initiative, called Project Galvanise, was designed to strategically support law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders responsible for safeguarding protected landscapes and wildlife in Southeast Asia.
Since the start of the project, the following achievements were realised:
- Eight intelligence analysts were recruited by Project Galvanise to enhance analytical capacity in national agencies and NGOs in Lao PDR, Malaysia (Sabah), Thailand, and Vietnam.
- A Project Steering Committee was established to bring together key stakeholders from the region, who advised the project on strategic decision making, monitored progress, and addressed challenges. The committee convened in December 2022, June 2023, and January 2024.
- The eight intelligence analysts participated in three training sessions, each of three weeks. These sessions, held in December 2022 (Malaysia), January 2023 (Malaysia-Sabah) and August 2023 (Thailand), taught fundamental intelligence analysis skills, covering diverse topics including open-source intelligence, social media intelligence, online investigations, the dark web, the use of analytical software, online investigations, report writing and mobile phone analysis. The final training session, focused on developing and presenting a Strategic Threat Assessment, held in February 2024.
- Two on-site and two online mentoring sessions were held to support the analysts and their agencies. These mentoring sessions aimed to ensure adequate application of the analytical skills acquired during the training. Mentoring continued until the project was finalised.
- In 2023, the analysts demonstrated the power of intelligence analysis by producing various analytical products, which they presented to their senior managers to highlight how analysts are a force multiplier and add value to criminal investigations.
- In 2023, some of the analysts supported the WJC and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in investigating a network of corrupt customs officials involved in offering seized pangolin scales. As a result, 1.8 tonnes of pangolin scales were seized, and 12 suspects, including two customs officers, were arrested and charged by the MACC.
- Project Galvanise was a unique project that focused on an often underrepresented or ignored skillset essential for addressing domestic and transnational organised wildlife crime. Given the value that this project brought to the IWT landscape, the WJC will seek additional funding to keep this project going for at least another three years.
Online Resource Centre for Analysis (ORCA)
- Project Galvanise also enabled the WJC to develop and launch an online intelligence analyst community platform – the Online Resource Centre for Analysis (ORCA). ORCA is an online platform that provides a supporting environment for intelligence analysts working on wildlife crime. On ORCA, like-minded professionals can share best-practices and non-confidential reports, have discussions on wildlife crime and analytical techniques, and support each other with daily challenges, from solutions to software-related issues, to practical tips improving the intelligence analysis processes. It also contains many manuals, guidelines, and publications. While the platform does not facilitate confidential information sharing, it does enhance connectivity between intelligence analysts around the globe.
- Currently, 83 analysts from 19 countries and 24 organisations are connected to the platform. Analysts from other law enforcement agencies will be invited to join the platform. The content on ORCA has been translated into Portuguese and Thai to enable analysts from Mozambique and Thailand to join the platform.
