Wildlife traders arrested with elephant tusks and tails

By Thai PBS

 

 

Tak provincial police yesterday (Mar 14) arrested two wildlife traders after finding 24 elephant tusks and 16 elephant tails in their pickup truck.

 

The two suspects Saitarn Maliwan, 45, the driver, and his passenger Bunoeng Uttawat, 54, a mahout, were ordered to stop for search after their vehicle passed Huay Ya-u checkpoint in Tak.

 

Both confessed to the police that they bought the elephant tusks and tails from Myanmar poachers at the border for resale to customers in the northeastern provinces. They said the tusks were meant for home decoration while the tails for talismans.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/wildlife-traders-arrested-elephant-tusks-tails/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-03-15

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

They said the tusks were meant for home decoration while the tails for talismans.

 

Good try but admit it fellas, you just wanted to assemble your own elephant team for a polo league.

I wonder if they'll be set free on bail ...

It is good to see how much mahouts love the animals that provide them with a livelihood.  The word appalling just keeps rattling around in my mind.

Maybe headed to Prechai's house.

 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

and 16 elephant tails in their pickup truck

Forensic experts have now been called in to determine how many elephants were slaughtered

While the police chief began rehearsing his wai

It's interesting to see that this is clearly a case of commercial poaching for profit. The theft and mutilation of 16 elephants for profit. And in another case of bear parts being found in a bag getting ready for sale. These cases get barely a mention in the media. No billboards, no artists protests, no outrage. 

Why because it's alright, because they are poor and don't have control of multi billion baht companies.