Thai, Viet Gangs Involved In Elephant, Rhino Poaching

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Thai, Viet gangs 'involved in elephant, rhino poaching'
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thai and Vietnamese criminal gangs are involved in the illegal poaching of elephants and rhinos in Africa, according to the state wildlife and plant protection agency.

Individuals are hired for about US$500 (Bt15000) per trip to carry rhino horns and ivory from Africa to Thailand via African airlines.

They are also offered free air tickets from Africa to Thailand and Vietnam, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division’s commander Maj-General Norasak Hemnithi.

Once they arrive at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, they often leave their luggage on a trolley at a blind-spot area inside the airport. The trolley and luggage are later picked up by corrupt officials or police who take them outside the airport and transport them to countries like Vietnam and China, according to Norasak.

Meanwhile, those who carried the rhino horn or ivory from Africa immediately took another flight to Vietnam after having already left their luggage at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Norasak said some traffickers had transferred wildlife by car from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Vietnam via Nakhon Phanom province and Laos.

Others had put ivory tusks and rhino horns in containers and transferred them from Malaysia, entering into Thailand through Songkhla province’s Sadao district. Some traffickers have connections with a private zoo in Chaiyaphum province.

"China is the main destination for the illegal wildlife trade," he said.

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department deputy director Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said Thailand was classified as a major transit and destination country for illegal wildlife trade - especially ivory, ivory products, and rhino horn from Africa.

Meanwhile, Africa, Kenya, and Congo are known as the countries of origin for wildlife and wildlife product exports to other countries, particularly destinations in China and Vietnam.

" We found that Thai people have been involved in the illegal ivory trade from Africa. Some were hired to carry the ivory and some had imported it into Kingdom by themselves," he said.

Freeland Foundation's senior programmes officer, Bussara Tirakalyapan, said her foundation also found that Thai and Vietnamese criminal gangs were involved in the illegal wildlife trade, especially rhino horn from Africa via Thailand, or to the Middle East or a third country.

She said rhino horn was the most wanted animal part for traffickers because consumers believed that taking rhino horn would enhance and treat sexual dysfunction.

"Some mix rhino horn with cocaine to enhance sexual function and some use it as a cosmetic," she said.

To control international wildlife crime across the world, the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO) and 10 nations, including South Africa, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, EU, US and Thailand yesterday convened talks. The illegal wildlife trade across the world is worth more than Bt100 billion. African elephant, rhino horns, and tigers are the most wanted wildlife for the illegal trade, for zoos, and circuses.

The meeting was at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES. Delegates worked to come up with guidelines to curb this international wildlife crime.


-- The Nation 2013-03-05

[fareastguy]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

[DiNiro]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

[Pimay1]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

Correct, she is powerless. After all she is only the real PM.

[Mosha]

It's not that long ago an arrest was made down South. An off duty policeman using a police pickup. Ivory in the back.

[Locationthailand]

This really is such a pathetic expose! I am gobsmacked if all these details are so well known including 'a private zoo' is known to be involved, <deleted> is anyone doing about it? Police (laughable), Customs Officials (laughable), NACC (doubly laughable), and then the PM comes out with a lame vote grabber the day after the election (bad timing sis...) saying she is closing the trade. Is this place not a circus? The entertainment is non stop.

[chainarong]

This really is such a pathetic expose! I am gobsmacked if all these details are so well known including 'a private zoo' is known to be involved, <deleted> is anyone doing about it? Police (laughable), Customs Officials (laughable), NACC (doubly laughable), and then the PM comes out with a lame vote grabber the day after the election (bad timing sis...) saying she is closing the trade. Is this place not a circus? The entertainment is non stop.

LT the entertainment is endless, even the clowns in Canberra can't keep pace with this lot.

[noitom]

This article should be headed up "Corrupt Thai Airport and Police Officials Involved in Illegal Ivory Trade."

[EyesWideOpen]

Since it appears that government officials are heavily involved in the trade,

her statement that she could stop it makes a lot more sense. Just send a quick

internal memo, and the job is done !!! :-) No need for any investigation...

" The trolley and luggage are later picked up by corrupt officials or police who take them outside the airport and transport them to countries like Vietnam and China, according to Norasak."

[Thai at Heart]

Since it appears that government officials are heavily involved in the trade,

her statement that she could stop it makes a lot more sense. Just send a quick

internal memo, and the job is done !!! :-) No need for any investigation...

" The trolley and luggage are later picked up by corrupt officials or police who take them outside the airport and transport them to countries like Vietnam and China, according to Norasak."

And i am sure that only ivory is smuggled this way. Aside from the corruption, what a horrendous security risk.

[DiNiro]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

Correct, she is powerless. After all she is only the real PM.

We all know who is in charge. The army and the invisible hand.

They let her play PM until the next coup.

[Pimay1]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

Correct, she is powerless. After all she is only the real PM.

We all know who is in charge. The army and the invisible hand.

They let her play PM until the next coup.

Aah the old invisible hand again. Tell me does the invisible hand also have an invisible body or is it just the hand?

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

Correct, she is powerless. After all she is only the real PM.

We all know who is in charge. The army and the invisible hand.

They let her play PM until the next coup.

Aah the old invisible hand again. Tell me does the invisible hand also have an invisible body or is it just the hand?

Ask Adam Smith.

[rubl]

The old 'invisible hand in the box' trick. Mind you somewhat unrelated to poaching, I think

[bigbamboo]

Thailand is in possession of so much detailed information about it's own illegal activities, yet nothing is done !!

It's about time Yingluk was held accountable for letting this continue to go on by the world organisations, so much so that she would become embarrassed enough into doing something..

Yingluck would love to stop thie wildlife trade but who is she gonna call?

Trade as valuable as this has protection from a big general or even higher.

Correct, she is powerless. After all she is only the real PM.

We all know who is in charge. The army and the invisible hand.

They let her play PM until the next coup.

If the invisible hand is invisible how do you know it even exists?

[JetsetBkk]

I guess it's comforting to make jokes about "the invisible" hand - makes it sound less scary, more friendly. But you all know what is meant by the phrase.

.

Edited March 5, 2013 by JetsetBkk

[Costas2008]

Don't worry........Leonardo will short it out!!!!!!!

[blackthorn2005]

"Once they arrive at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, they often leave their luggage on a trolley at a blind-spot area inside the airport" So much for security, I feel so assured!

[Bitis4ever]

Here is the "old" News,from Nov. 2012.A Thai Guy got 40 years jail term for Rhino Poaching !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20267967

[LuckyLew]

"Thai and Vietnamese criminal gangs are involved in the illegal poaching of elephants and rhinos in Africa"

Too funny there is another thread saying "Thai authorities said Tuesday they would seek arrest warrants
for three police officers allegedly involved in trafficking rhino horn through Bangkok's main airport"

Does all this mean that Thai police is a criminal gang?

Guess you got your 'bloods" "crypts" and "Thai Police" ... lol