Three sentenced to 4 years in jail for attempted rhino horn smuggling

By Kesinee Tangkhieo 
The Nation

 

 

Samut Prakan Provincial Court on Tuesday handed down sentences of four years’ imprisonment to former Saraburi public prosecutor Pol Major Worapas Boonsri and two female civilians over their attempt to smuggle 21 rhino horns worth Bt49.4 million into the country through Suvarnabhumi Airport on March 10 last year.

 

The three were granted temporary release on bail of Bt200,000 each, pending their fight against the ruling at the Appeals Court level.

 

Thitirat Ara-ei, Kansinee Anutranusart and Worapas were found guilty of related charges, including colluding to bring controlled or prohibited items into the country by avoiding customs procedure, and bringing into Thailand an endangered wildlife carcass without permission.

 

They were each sentenced to four years in jail, without suspension.

 

A source at the Office of the Attorney General said that, about a week after the exposure of Worapas’s then-alleged link to rhino-horn smuggling, the office had set up a fact-finding committee, led by inspector-general Pranot Phongphaew, to investigate the case. 

 

The committee later submitted its findings that there were some grounds to the accusation and that a panel to consider Worapas’s disciplinary punishment should be set up. 

 

The disciplinary probe panel then suspended him from service until the criminal-court case was complete, the source said.

 

Hence, following Tuesday’s court verdict, the panel might get a copy of the ruling for its consideration of his disciplinary punishment, the source added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30358952

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-20

With this type of thing you have to look at where it's destination is....and without mentioning names there is one huge offender in most cases, and that's due to some silly belief about it's properties. Without this market, the thirst for natural things like this and tiger parts or shark fins would greatly diminish. This market/place has much to answer for.

13 hours ago, Brigand said:

With this type of thing you have to look at where it's destination is....and without mentioning names there is one huge offender in most cases, and that's due to some silly belief about it's properties. Without this market, the thirst for natural things like this and tiger parts or shark fins would greatly diminish. This market/place has much to answer for.

You mean China. You can say this.  Keratin. The same protein found in our fingernails. ????

Edited November 21, 20187 yr by dinsdale

Lock them up! 

Edited November 21, 20187 yr by Skeptic7

Hmmm....

Four years, loh?

Quite the valued punishment. ????

Sending the wrong message.????  

 

 

 

 

And yet, strong willed critics of the establishment are put away forever........even disappear. 

 

 

Priorities.

It should be 4 years per rhino horn to be served consecutively as far as I am concerned.