Police to summon two truck drivers for questioning over pangolins smuggling

[webfact]

Police to summon two truck drivers for questioning over pangolins smuggling

By Thai PBS

 

 

Prachuab Khiri Khan police will issue summons two truck drivers for interrogation for alleged smuggling of 136 pangolins from Malaysia.

 

The move of Sam Roi Yot police followed a complaint filed with the police by customs officials on Sept 3, accusing  Mr Surasak Toonchalong, a resident of Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Mr Krit Simma, a resident of Pathum Thani of violating Customs Act and Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act over the attempted smuggling of 136 pangolins and 450 kilogrammes of pangolin scales.

 

The two fled when authorities intercepted the truck carrying the protected species in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Aug 30.

 

Full story:  http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-summon-two-truck-drivers-questioning-pangolins-smuggling/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-09-05

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The two fled when authorities intercepted the truck

My admittedly limited experience of police check points on Thai highways is one just can't easily wander off after you have been pulled over. There's also a lack of public transport and hitch hiking is positively unknown. But from the main article:

 

Quote

 

The Custom Department earlier notified wildlife authorities that the department decided not to pursue the case against the two suspects. The department did not give the reasons behind its decision.

 

Will anyone ask them why these smugglers were afforded the opportunity to disappear? Why did Customs need up to 4-days to  verify that this was indeed some sort of contraband. I mean doesn't everyone trade in pangolin's these days? Maybe the ultimate ownership of the contraband needed to be clarified to ensure that somebody's 'right' to abuse their government employment for personal gain wasn't impacted in any way. 

 

Or otherwise close ranks, get their ducks in a row and look the other way. Ultimately the RTP will catch the two divers and they will be paraded as the masterminds and sole benefactors of this sordid business that they dreamed up over noodles one afternoon.

[kaorop]

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

My admittedly limited experience of police check points on Thai highways is one just can't easily wander off after you have been pulled over.

 

There's also a lack of public transport and

 

the two divers and they will be paraded as the masterminds and sole benefactors of this sordid business that they dreamed up over noodles one afternoon.

its very easy to "get away"

theres no lack of public transport

quite possible

[NanLaew]

4 minutes ago, kaorop said:

its very easy to "get away"

theres no lack of public transport

quite possible

Yes... in fact they had 4 days to "get away" so they probably waited for the bus or phoned a buddy to come and get them or got an Uber.