Man arrested over online snake shop
A 25-year-old Thai man who tried to sell wildlife online was arrested in possession of a banded linsang and 11 snakes in Bangkok on Monday.
Kanchana Nittaya, who heads the Wildlife Conservation Office, accompanied other officials and police officers as they raided the house of suspect Akkanee Ma-ae in Soi Seri Thai 33/1 of Bueng Kum district under a warrant issued by the Min Buri court.
They found one banded linsang – a rare type of civet – two adult bivittatus (Burmese) pythons, and nine baby snakes (two Burmese pythons and seven reticulated pythons).
The operation followed an investigation into a Facebook shop Akkanee allegedly set up to sell wild animals. Officials contacted him in an undercover operation that allowed them to get details about him and his address so they could apply for a court warrant.
After he failed to present a licence allowing him to possess or sell wildlife, police arrested him and seized the animals as evidence.
He was referred to investigators from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, who will decide on further legal action.