Thailand seizes illegal ivory in crates marked as 'marble'

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai customs officials said Monday they seized 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of ivory — or about 130 tusks and pieces — hidden in crates being shipped from Africa to Asia.

The haul was headed from Congo to Laos and transited through several countries in between, said the deputy director-general of Thailand's Customs Department, Chamroen Photiyod. He said Thai authorities received a tip-off and began tracking the shipment when it left Addis Ababa airport in Ethiopia.

On Friday, authorities at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport stopped the shipment which was inside two wooden crates marked "marble pieces" that contained four suitcases with the ivory inside, Chamroen told a news conference.

The ivory was worth an estimated 10 million baht (US$295,000), he said.

This is the 11th ivory seizure the Thai Customs Department has made this year.

Thailand is a major transit hub and destination for smuggled tusks, which are often carved into tourist trinkets and ornaments.

Poachers have killed tens of thousands of African elephants for their tusks in recent years to meet demand for ivory in Asia.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-06

Do the Thais plan to do anything further? That is bust the Thais on the manifest as the receiver? Where was the destination of these crates of ivory? To whom was it sent? Do the Thais plan to publicly destroy the ivory to send a message? Or do they just plan to casually recirculate it?

Do the Thais plan to do anything further? That is bust the Thais on the manifest as the receiver? Where was the destination of these crates of ivory? To whom was it sent? Do the Thais plan to publicly destroy the ivory to send a message? Or do they just plan to casually recirculate it?

1. You'll never know. But if so, they won't announce it in the news.

2. Probably, they won't go all the way to end user, at least not yet.

3. They never told us, but they're working on it..

4. Same as above.

5. It would seem a tragic waste of elephant lives if they do.

6. Being Asia, probably yes.

Do the Thais plan to do anything further? That is bust the Thais on the manifest as the receiver? Where was the destination of these crates of ivory? To whom was it sent? Do the Thais plan to publicly destroy the ivory to send a message? Or do they just plan to casually recirculate it?

From the OP: The haul was headed from Congo to Laos

Why do you think the end receivers were Thai?

Thailand could be ready to begin burning ivory stockpile

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Leya Musa

http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2015/03/thailand-could-be-ready-to-begin-burning-ivory-stockpile/

As In past seizures, the ivory will be destroyed, ( sometimes pirated goods as well), but they don't

destroy expensive autos or homes. The animals are dead, crime punished, why not sell the lot to the highest bidder, ( as in cars/homes), and replenish some of the Government wasted treasury funds ?