Three arrested for selling angonoka tortoises

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- Police have arrested three Thais for having allegedly smuggled angonoka tortoises to sell at the Chatucak Weekend Market.

Attiya Sriduang, 41, Yongyut Thamsunjorn, 40 and Natthawut Pathummet, 31, were arrested with two angonoka tortoises at their shop in Zone D of the Chatuchak Market Saturday afternoon.

Pol Lt Kanathat Musikanon, deputy commander of the Huay Kwang police station who led the raid against the shop, held a press conference at 3pm Sunday to announce the arrest.

The angonoka tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) is a critically endangered species of tortoise endemic to Madagascar. The tortoise is prohibited from sale by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Kanathat said police had received tips-off that the endangered tortoises had been smuggled to sell at the Chatuchak Market. The tortoise is listed on Appendix 1 of the directive Natural Resources and Environment Ministry that bans the sale.

Kanathat said police had conducted an investigation and found that Attiya was the one who allegedly smuggled in the tortoises for sale.

He said a police officer contracted Attiya via LINE application, offering to buy the tortoises and asked her to send their photos.

The woman sent a photo and informed the officer that she would sell the tortoises for Bt180,000 each.

The officer agreed to buy and Attiya asked him to meet her at the pet shop to pay the money and take the tortoises so police raided the shop.

Attiya told police that she had received the tortoises from another person but she refused to give more information, reserving her right to speak in court.

Kanathat said the authorities had learned that the tortoises had been stolen from a museum in Madagascar.

[ratcatcher]

".....the tortoises had been stolen from a museum in Madagascar."

Interesting, in most cases, animals in museums have usually had the attention of a taxidermist.

[noitom]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

[NongKhaiKid]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

They've already changed the motive from ' political ' to ' local business or political conflict '.

[worgeordie]

These Tortoises are extremely rare in their natural habitat in Madagascar,

they need to be returned forthwith,and hopefully they can be placed into a

breeding program.

I hope when these people come before the court,the judge has done some

reading and investigation,and knows how endangered these animals are,

and hand out very stiff penalty's (if found guilty),and punish these greedy

people,and maybe the next lot of smugglers will have 2nd thoughts and

leave these Tortoises where they belong.

regards Worgeordie

[Sviss Geez]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

This report is not "big news" as you put it, it is is a minor news item not carried anywhere else except Thaivisa.

Currently no "bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls", and you have no up to date idea of the progress of the police investigation. The ones that don't have a clue are you and, of course, your ever faithful brown-nosing liker.

Do you wake up each day thinking "how can I denigrate the Thai people in general or the Thai police force in particular today"?

[Sviss Geez]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

They've already changed the motive from ' political ' to ' local business or political conflict '.

That's what happens in ongoing investigations and, by definition, until the person responsible is caught the police will never know what the motive is.

[LuckyLew]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

Maybe since you seem not to care about endangered species you can look at it this way ...

Once a creature is gone and is extinct it is gone forever and there are a lot of people who care more about that than some little bomb that exploded in a shopping malls parking lot that injured no on and killed no one.

More people care about an animal / creature going extinct than a silly meaningless bomb on some tourist island

[JOC]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

This report is not "big news" as you put it, it is is a minor news item not carried anywhere else except Thaivisa.

Currently no "bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls", and you have no up to date idea of the progress of the police investigation. The ones that don't have a clue are you and, of course, your ever faithful brown-nosing liker.

Do you wake up each day thinking "how can I denigrate the Thai people in general or the Thai police force in particular today"?

Do you wake up each day thinking "how can I denigrate the Thai people in general or the Thai police force in particular today"?

Do you wake up each day thinking " how can I denigrate fellow expats in general or Thaivisa posters in particular today?

You are indeed the resident Mr Sunshine!!

[NongKhaiKid]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

They've already changed the motive from ' political ' to ' local business or political conflict '.

That's what happens in ongoing investigations and, by definition, until the person responsible is caught the police will never know what the motive is.

So every time an arrest is made the real motive is revealed ? Interesting.

[Toknarok]

The Angonoka is a pretty big tortoise but even if it is highly endangered who would pay 180K baht for a tortoise?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angonoka_tortoise

Edited April 13, 2015 by Toknarok

[Local Drunk]

The Angonoka is a pretty big tortoise but even if it is highly endangered who would pay 180K baht for a tortoise?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angonoka_tortoise

Who would pay 180k? People with a lot more money than me (perhaps us). The rarer an animal is, then the more valuable it is. It's no different from any other commodity.

[Skywalker69]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

This tortoise is an endengerd spieces.

[Skywalker69]

The Angonoka is a pretty big tortoise but even if it is highly endangered who would pay 180K baht for a tortoise?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angonoka_tortoise

Who would pay 180k? People with a lot more money than me (perhaps us). The rarer an animal is, then the more valuable it is. It's no different from any other commodity.

There is a red shirt leader in the a naboring village, he has so many rear birds mostly parrots Blue macaw´s, Red macaw´s, Red winged macaw´s, Great green macaw´s also different Cockatoos, and Lories and a lot of other birds that I have never seen before.

We are talking big big money here.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Skywalker69

[Local Drunk]

The Angonoka is a pretty big tortoise but even if it is highly endangered who would pay 180K baht for a tortoise?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angonoka_tortoise

Who would pay 180k? People with a lot more money than me (perhaps us). The rarer an animal is, then the more valuable it is. It's no different from any other commodity.

There is a red shirt leader in the a naboring village, he has so many rear birds mostly parrots Blue macaw´s, Red macaw´s, Red winged macaw´s, Great green macaw´s also different Cockatoos, and Lories and a lot of other birds that I have never seen before.

We are talking big big money here.

Got his addy? Muhahahahaha...

[Local Drunk]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

Noitom... humans aren't an endangered species. We are a danger to ourselves and everything around us, but we are not an endangered species.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Local Drunk

[Skywalker69]

Thais make big news with a tortoise bust while car bombs are being exploded in tourist shopping malls and the Thai police don't have a clue.

Noitom... humans aren't an endangered species. We are a danger to ourselves and everything around us, but we are not an endangered species.

One day nature will get back at us, humans.

[Beng]

Hope they will catch all of them.