Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Thai police officially announced on May 11 that they had successfully cracked the country's largest ivory smuggling case in a decade, seizing 250 kilograms of African ivory and related products, with an estimated market value of approximately US$300,000. All nine suspects involved have been arrested.
It is reported that Thailand's anti-wildlife smuggling department and the National Police Environmental Crime Department launched a synchronized operation on May 7, conducting raids in seven provinces across the country and successfully seizing the smuggled ivory. Pathompong Thongchamroon, an official from the National Police Environmental Crime Department, revealed that this is the largest quantity of ivory seized in ten years, suspected to have been smuggled into Thailand from Africa via sea.
The case originated from the social media platform Facebook – law enforcement officers had previously discovered a private group suspected of selling smuggled African ivory. After months of meticulous investigation, they identified nine Thai group administrators. The gang had been posting ivory sales information and contacting buyers in online groups for a long time, forming a complete smuggling and sales chain. They have now all been apprehended by the police.
According to a police statement, nine suspects have been charged with illegally possessing and trading protected wildlife products. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of 1 million baht (approximately US$30,000), or both.
It is noteworthy that both Asian and African elephants are listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has comprehensively banned the international ivory trade since 1990. Thailand's action demonstrates its determination to combat wildlife smuggling and protect endangered species. (End)
