News Context: Reports in early 2026 from the Wildlife Crime Control Burea(WCCB) indicate a definitive shift of poaching syndicates (from MP and Maharashtra) toward the Mizoram-Manipur-Myanmar route.
The "New Silk Road" of Illegal Trade
- The Geographical Pivot: Surveillance at the Indo-Nepal border (specifically the Siliguri corridor) has intensified. Consequently, traffickers now use Champhai (Mizoram) and Moreh (Manipur) as gateways.
- The Myanmar Instability Factor: Since the 2021 coup, the lack of governance in Myanmar’s borderlands has allowed the Mong La market (near the China border) to flourish as a hub for Pangolin scales, Rhino horns, and Tiger parts.
- Organized Crime Nexus: This route overlaps with Insurgent groups and Narco-trafficking in the "Golden Triangle," posing a severe Internal Security threat to India's "Act East" policy.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
