Thai police seized about 1.4 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about 50 million baht, from a truck in the north-eastern province of Kalasin on Wednesday, as it was heading for Mukdahan province to be smuggled through Laos and into China.

 

Pol Col Ariyaphol Sinsorn, deputy commander of the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division, said that the seizure was the result of cooperation between the Thai police and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

He said that Thai and US investigators had tracked the movements of the smugglers for some time before they decided to arrest the truck driver and his assistant.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/over-1-4-tonnes-of-pangolin-scales-seized-in-kalasin-province/

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-08-18

 

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Wow that's sad.  China!!  4000.  Wonder how many total population in Thailand is and was at its peak? 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai police seized about 1.4 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about 50 million baht, from a truck in the north-eastern province of Kalasin on Wednesday, as it was heading for Mukdahan province to be smuggled through Laos and into China.

Disgusting practice.

But sad to say all you got were the goods and the driver...

why not liaise  with Laos/China and catch Mr Big who was buying the shipment?

Poaching protected animals is disgusting .

Shame on anyone involved in that business and I hope that they get bad " Karma " from this .

Chinese exploiting the world. Nothing new.

21 hours ago, webfact said:

1.4 tonnes of pangolin scales,

WOW! that is a lot of unfortunate Pangolins. I wonder what happened to their carcases?

 

The shy, harmless pangolin is becoming increasingly well known for one reason: It’s believed to be the world’s most trafficked non-human mammal. Tens of thousands of pangolins are poached every year, killed for their scales for use in traditional Chinese medicine and for their meat, a delicacy among some ultra-wealthy in China and Vietnam.

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/pangolins

 

He said that Thai and US investigators had tracked the movements of the smugglers for some time before they decided to arrest the truck driver and his assistant.

 

The driver reportedly told the police that he was hired for 20,000 baht to drive the truck, containing 42 bags, to Mukdahan province, while his assistant was paid 7,000 baht.

 

So after all that time(how long?), only arresting a driver and his assistant?!

No arrests in poachers and/or buying persons. I call that a very low harvest.

It is just the transportation section.

They tracked the movements, so then you come to importer, customs and so on.

Nothing mentioned about this, no arrests, sad operation.

4 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

It is just the transportation section.

They tracked the movements, so then you come to importer, customs and so on.

Nothing mentioned about this, no arrests, sad operation.

With respect, this may appear so, but intelligence may be available that is deemed "not of interest to the public domain" whilst further investigations continue. A sad operation - yes indeed with so many pangolins being slaughtered BUT their scales have not reached the Chinese Traditional Medicine market possibly creating many "sick" Chinese.

Reference Google:

 

The Squama Manitis (pangolin scale) is a medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), commonly used to promote lactation in women and reduce swelling.

19 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

With respect, this may appear so, but intelligence may be available that is deemed "not of interest to the public domain" whilst further investigations continue. A sad operation - yes indeed with so many pangolins being slaughtered BUT their scales have not reached the Chinese Traditional Medicine market possibly creating many "sick" Chinese.

Reference Google:

 

The Squama Manitis (pangolin scale) is a medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), commonly used to promote lactation in women and reduce swelling.

With respect

You dont put up a whole scheme to arrest 2 drivers, that is rubbish, sad

IF it is like that, then you even dont put a dumb story like this.

IF it is like that then you protect the more high roll players? Corruption?

If you dont have the source, it will continue and prices go up, so more motivation.

This story would have been way better with the complete outcome.

Showing arrest of the real crooks, that is "of interest to the public domain".

Now im laughing about this story and thinking what a dumb **s. Corruption?

Sad for all those animals, as 1,4 tons is a lot of Pangolin.

 

I ve seen a docu from an investigating journalist in eating tiger meat  and rhino horn.

It led him to Vietnam to a high ranked militair, colonel, who was dealing in it.

Sadly the docu didnt show, the out coming of all.

 

Same as with elephant tusks which are still smuggled. A docu where they put a fake tusk in a load of tusks with transmitter to see where it was going. Also a scheme set up. The outcome? Not mentioned. Probably in episode 2 , but never saw. Corruption again?

A hand carved elephant tusk (tusk is only for showing, no medicine real), red once years ago, could do 1000000 $, US. And that was years ago.  

 

Same with shark vin soup. Chines are hunting like idiots on it. Sharks, cut off their vin and then to die thrown over board. Not 1 , not 2, but by the hundreds of them. Also a docu with further no outcome.

And shark vin soup costs. Delicatesse for the rich. Corruption?