Thai authorities capture wildlife traffickers

BANGKOK, May 25 (TNA) - Thai authorities from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation have arrested wildlife traffickers and seized protected animals priced on the domestic market at over one million baht totally and even three times as much on overseas markets. The department's deputy director-general, Theerapat Prayoonsit, told journalists that his officials searched a modified pickup truck Friday morning, after being tipped off via its hotline number 1362 over the wildlife trafficking in the Kha-na-pat housing estate in Bang Bua Thong area of Bangkok's suburban Nonthaburi Province. According to the senior Thai official, the raid led to the finding of 68 plastic buckets containing monitor lizards, cobras, pythons and rat snakes, as well as 13 sacks containing turtles worth 241,000 baht. The arrested men said they would deliver the animals to Nong Khai Province in the Thai Northeast, where they would be forwarded them through neighbouring Laos and Vietnam to other countries. The search also found 14 bulbuls at the house, where the arrested suspects received the earlier found animals. The four suspects have then been charged with unauthorized trade and possession of wildlife. Earlier this week, Thai police and forestry officials also arrested a man with 1,940 rat snakes on his pickup truck. The suspect said he would deliver the snakes priced at 1.2 million baht to Khon Kaen Province, also in the Thai Northeast, for a 6,000-baht wage. (TNA)