Police Crack Down on International Tiger Trafficking: 60-Year-Old Man Arrested

[Georgealbert]

 

 

Officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) arrested Mr. Chalee Meepra, 60, at his residence in Bang Rak Phatthana, Bang Bua Thong District, Nonthaburi. The arrest followed the discovery of three tiger carcasses at the scene. Mr. Chalee faces charges of possessing and trading protected wildlife without authorisation.

 

This operation was part of a broader collaboration involving the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), and Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. The initiative, under the US Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Asia program, aims to combat transnational wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia.

 

Authorities were tipped off that Mr. Chalee was attempting to sell three fully intact tiger carcasses. After an investigation pinpointed the location of the contraband, police secured a court warrant to search his home. The operation successfully uncovered and seized the tiger remains.

 

During questioning, Mr. Chalee confessed that the carcasses belonged to Sumatran tigers, which he claimed were brought from Indonesia over 40 years ago. Facing financial difficulties, he decided to sell the tigers for an initial asking price of 900,000 baht, eventually negotiating down to 200,000 baht.

 

The suspect and the seized items have been handed over to Bang Bua Thong Police Station for further legal proceedings.

 

Picture courtesy of NRECD

-- 2024-11-23