Prachinburi wildlife raid nets seventh suspect with menagerie
The seventh suspect in a wildlife smuggling ring was arrested after being caught in possession of almost 200 protected species in Prachinburi on Thursday. The arrest came one day after six suspects were nabbed with a cache of lemurs and tortoises in Chumphon.
Investigators on Thursday followed the trail to a house in Prachinburi’s Muang district, 150 kilometres east of Bangkok, where they suspected smuggled wildlife was being kept. They searched the house and discovered a total of 186 protected animals. These comprised a white-breasted waterhen, three Siamese crocodiles, a fishing cat, eight black-and-white colobus monkeys, and 173 radiated tortoises, said Weera Khunchaiyarak, deputy director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
A man identified only by his first name of Thongkham was arrested at the house on suspicion of possessing wildlife protected by law.
Illegal possession of wildlife is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, a maximum fine of 500,000 baht, or both.
The smaller animals were confiscated and handed over to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Nakhon Nayok while the crocodiles were placed in the care of the Prachinburi Provincial Fisheries Office.
The other six suspects were arrested in possession of 48 lemurs and 1,049 star tortoises on Wednesday. The suspects are believed to be part of a smuggling ring transporting protected wildlife from Indonesia, Weera said.
He confirmed that investigations following Wednesday’s bust in Chumphon had led to the raid on Thursday.
Thailand’s status as a hub of wildlife smuggling and exotic pet ownership was underlined in January when a lioness cub was spotted being paraded through Pattaya’s streets in the back of a Bentley convertible by its wealthy owner.
