Patrol team work led to capture of poachers with special treatment

By The Nation

 

 

IT WAS good teamwork, and more importantly, good spirits and courage to protect the forest that led to the high-profile arrest of a tycoon and his associates for allegedly poaching wildlife in Thung Yai Naresaun Wildlife Sanctuary, part of a World Heritage area.
 

A veteran ranger in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary’s Maharat base first encountered the alleged poaching in which Italian-Thai Development president Premchai Karnasuta is implicated on the way from his base to the Thung Yai office. He then reported it to his chief, Wichian Shinwong.

 

According to a source close to the incident, the ranger found a man fishing near his base, which is almost inaccessible as it is located deep in the sanctuary and not open to visitors. 

 

 

When Wichian received the report, he ordered his deputy to check the area. The deputy encountered another a man carrying a gun, pointing it in different directions, as he travelled along the dirt road near the base.

 

When the deputy returned to base, he reported the incident to his chief. With no hesitation, Wichian ordered a patrol of 20 subordinates to the area, where a group of visitors, including Premchai, had been allowed to enter the sanctuary and camp.

 

 

The wildlife rangers caught up with the group and conducted a search, finding gruesome evidence of the killing of endangered species, including a black leopard.

 

The source said on Saturday there had been some communication between the chief and “people on the other end of the line”. He was asked to take care of the group as they were the guests of “Phu Yai”, which means important persons. 

 

One “Phu Yai” is the director of a bureau at the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, while another was a former director at the same bureau. The latter is close to Premchai as he acts as a consultant to his company, the source said.

 

The group was therefore allowed to go where they requested. They camped on the way to Maha Rat base, but nobody knew that they would kill the animals. 

 

The source said Premchai at first denied the charges and refused to sign the arrest record prepared by the Thung Yai office. The document is normally submitted to the police as part of a complaint.

 

The source said Premchai possibly would deny the charges by saying he was not the person who shot the animals.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30338127

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-02-07

Lovely house of cards. Now get the phu yais and all their minions. Burn them.

How sad and deplorable.  More wealthy scumbags setting the lowest example possible.  Must be Wednesday.  Does anybody with money and power in this country know how to behave?  Sadly, poaching carries pretty light sentencing in Thailand which is no surprise.    

Edited February 7, 20188 yr by yellowboat

Good work by the park rangers, unfortunately I think this fat cat will flee unlike the poor Leopard.

And the Thai fat cat is no endangered species. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

IT WAS good teamwork, and more importantly, good spirits and courage to protect the forest

i don't elevate this to heroism, rather a rarity in thailand, people that are good at and care about their jobs

17 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

How sad and deplorable.  More wealthy scumbags setting the lowest example possible.  Must be Wednesday.  Does anybody with money and power in this country know how to behave?  Sadly, poaching carries pretty light sentencing in Thailand which is no surprise.    

Unless you are elderly and hunting mushrooms of course.

Strangely there is a report about how wonderful the Thai/ Ital CEO has done such a wonderful of building the company???

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

How sad and deplorable.  More wealthy scumbags setting the lowest example possible.  Must be Wednesday.  Does anybody with money and power in this country know how to behave?  Sadly, poaching carries pretty light sentencing in Thailand which is no surprise.    

I read that the maximum jail time for poaching is 28 years but with his well connected junta friends and wealth, he probably get a short suspended sentencing and a small fine for trespassing. Others not well connected gets 42 years in jail and a quick investigation by the NACC. 

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

I read that the maximum jail time for poaching is 28 years but with his well connected junta friends and wealth, he probably get a short suspended sentencing and a small fine for trespassing. Others not well connected gets 42 years in jail and a quick investigation by the NACC. 

Really?  Remember Vietnam poachers were in a gun fight with rangers.  They got killed when all they were facing was a B20k fine.    This whining hi-so won't see jail time, unless the junta wants to make some points with Thai populous.