And officers who were part of the enquiry were commended at a national police awards ceremony last week.
Dumfries and Galloway Division CID were handed the team of the year award by Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Iain Livingstone at the Bravery and Excellence Awards held online.
Presented jointly to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, it recognised the efforts of a joint investigation into the poisoning in the Stewartry over the last few years.
A string of incidents between 2018 and 2020 saw upwards of 20 raptors and other wild birds found dead in the Springholm area as a result of ingesting banned pesticides.
A 64 year-old man was subsequently charged with wildlife crime offences last April.
Mr Livingstone said at the ceremony: “The last 12 months have underlined the relentless and challenging nature of policing.
“Officers and staff are playing a crucial role supporting the national response to coronavirus. At the same time, they continue to meet the needs of our communities, providing day-to-day policing and responding to a number of demanding and high profile incidents.
“Today is an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding policing which occurs all over Scotland, day in, day out, and to commend members of the public for the selfless acts of bravery and courage to help their fellow citizens.”
