BANGKOK: Thai police have arrested two men in connection with the smuggling of tiger and leopard carcasses from Malaysia. They
picked up the men – a Thai and a Vietnamese – in Kannayao yesterday and
seized the carcasses of two tigers and two leopards. Central
Investigation Bureau deputy chief Maj-Gen Sriwara Rangpramnakun said
initial investigations revealed that the carcasses were destined for
China, enroute Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. He said the carcasses were smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia through Sadao in Songkhla.
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| Photo: FREELAND Foundation / AP |
According to the police, the men claimed that the dead tigers could fetch up to 700,000 baht (RM70,000) each. Perhilitan,
the Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department, said it had come
across quite a number of cases of Malaysian-registered luxury cars
being modified to hide illicit cargo of endangered animals. Another
tactic was to hide illegal wildlife by mixing them with products such
as fish and vegetables while some traffickers try to pass off the
animals as airline cargo.
Under the Wildlife Conservation Act,
which went into effect recently, those caught smuggling endangered
wildlife could face a fine of up to RM500,000 and mandatory jail time.
Source:
Bernama
