Police find wildlife cache in Samut Prakan houses
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Security officials searching two houses in Soi Rattanathani 9 in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district yesterday morning discovered a cache of wild animals including Hornbills and stingrays.
Police first searched a house belonging to 63-year-old Surin Aparattanawilai where they found a pair of rare Hornbills and a large aquarium containing some 100 species including stingrays. Surin claimed that he had been breeding stingrays, Siamese fighting fish, soft-shell turtles and other species for export to Japan for about 40 years, as part of his family business S and P Aquarium Co. He said he had a permit to keep the Hornbills.
Police also raided a house nearby and found 30 birdcages containing protected species including six red-whiskered bulbuls, six moorhens and two quail. Police apprehended Surapon Pupalee, 42, who claimed he was paid Bt300 per day to look after the animals for the owner of the house, Surin’s brother Thongsuk Juprajak, 70.
Department Of National Parks, Wildlife And Plant Conservation deputy chief Theerapat Prayoonsit said the search stemmed from complaints that protected animals were being kept without permission at Thongsuk’s house.
Surapol has been charged with violating the Wildlife Protection Act 1992.
