Thai police arrest 2 Thai traffickers of African ivory

Police have arrested two Thais for trafficking in African ivory, a crime that carries a maximum fouryear jail sentence, police said Tuesday.

Samat Chokechoima and Kanok Wongsarot were arrested on Monday in a sting operation in which Thai police posed as buyers of carved African ivory items, said Pol LtColonel Thanayos Gengkasrikit, spokesman of the Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Division.

The suspects face a maximum of four years in prison and fines of up to Bt40,000 under Thailand's Wild Animal Preservation and Protection Act and another fine up to Bt100,000 under the Customs Act for the import and export of illegal goods.

Described as "middlelevel operators", the arrest of Samat and Kanok was the result of a yearlong investigation involving Thai and US officials, along with the Freeland Foundation and the Asean Wildlife Enforcement Network (AseanWEN).

-- The Nation 2009/11/17

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Thai police arrest 2 Thai traffickers

......the arrest of Samat and Kanok was the result of a year long investigation .....

Surely there is no market for ivory here with elephants being the scared national symbol and all that

Edited November 17, 200916 yr by Hardback

Good to see this, but one wonders what the Freeland Foundation people would say about it. Maybe the middle level Samat and Kanok were scapegoats? Maybe the big fish got a away with a little with a little tea money? Would make sense as Thailand never takes on these "low priority" crimes unless pressured by the outside. Shame really.

WoW one year to catch two crooks. I guess they didn't pay enough tea money...

I bet the ivory disappears from the evidence locker and reappears in some hi-so thai's home in the form of figurines or some such.