Thai Authorities Seize Smuggled Orangutans

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

 

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand, alongside the Royal Thai Police's Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, has successfully intercepted an illegal wildlife trade operation, seizing two orangutans. The captured primates hold an estimated value exceeding 250,000 baht.

 

On 15th May 2025, Director-General Attapol Charoenchansa received information from Mr Naruephon Thipmonta, head of the Forest Protection and Fire Control Office, about the successful takedown of a protected wildlife smuggling ring involving orangutans.

 

The operation, initiated on 12th May 2025, saw collaboration between police and an anonymous informant, who uncovered a network engaged in the illicit trade of protected animals. Arrangements were made to purchase an orangutan for 255,000 baht, with a scheduled exchange at a petrol station in Lat Phrao, Bangkok.

 

Picture courtesy of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

 

Upon receiving intelligence, enforcement teams, including the head of the National Park Rangers' special operations team, crime intelligence centre, and police division, moved to arrest the suspects. A 47-year-old man was taken into custody, with two orangutans and two plastic containers used for transport confiscated.

 

Authorities determined the actions violated the 2019 Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, specifically possessing controlled wildlife without a permit, punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine up to 100,000 baht. The suspect was transferred to investigators for legal processing.

 

The seized orangutans, along with the equipment, have been entrusted to the wildlife health management unit for proper care. The police and conservation officials are pursuing further investigation to identify additional members of the illegal trade network.

 

This operation aligns with the policies of Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, advocating stringent measures against illegal wildlife trading and poaching, extending from online markets to cross-border smuggling activities.

 

Orangutans, an endangered species listed under the CITES convention, are threatened by illegal trade, posing significant risks to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. The public is urged to report wildlife crimes via the 24-hour park protection hotline, 1362.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation 2025-05-16

 

 

[Dont confuse me]

I wondered where my.misses got to!

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

about the successful takedown of a protected wildlife smuggling ring involving orangutans.

Were they aiding and abetting ?

[jcmj]

The fine and punishment needs to be greatly increased to stop this from happening so often. They probably killed the mothers and took their babies. Very sad case all around. 

[off road pat]

"Punishable by up to a year in prison or a fine up to 100,000 baht". !!! As long as those fines will be ridiculously low  ?? The poaching and smuggling of protected wildlife will continue and even increase !!

[rudi49jr]

1 hour ago, jcmj said:

The fine and punishment needs to be greatly increased to stop this from happening so often. They probably killed the mothers and took their babies. Very sad case all around. 

Wildlife trafficking is hugely profitable (and I’m talking billions and billions of dollars), especially for the people high(est) up in the chain. When someone gets caught, it’s almost always some poor schmuck who does the actual smuggling, not the kingpins who profit the most from this sordid business.

And of course this is Thailand, where anyone can be bought. The top traffickers operate in the background, out of sight, they pay bribes to lots of officials to ‘grease the wheels’, and when they do get in trouble they just throw more money at it to make the problem go away. 

[metisdead]

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