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Airport police charged with wildlife smuggling
- Published: 7 Mar 2013 at 11.15
- Online news: Easier Stuff
Police have filed criminal charges in connection with trafficking illegal rhinoceros horns into the country against three junior officers stationed at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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Pol Sgt Maj Jakkapan Panprasert, centre, and Pol Sgt Phetcharit Panthaisong, right, of Suvarnabhumi Police Station are two of the three officers charged with wildlife trafficking on Wednesday. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN
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Airport police charged with wildlife smuggling
Online reporters
Police have filed criminal charges in connection with trafficking illegal rhinoceros horns into the country against three junior officers stationed at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Pol Sgt Maj Samai Ratchjangvang, Pol Sgt Jakkapan Panprasert and Pol Sgt Phetcharit Panthaisong, all of the Suvanabhumi Police Station, were summoned on Wednesday to hear charges by the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division.
They face allegations of smuggling wildlife or carcasses, and attempted tax evasion, according to Pol Maj Gen Norasak Hemnithi, the division chief.
Police suspect they are linked to an international wildlife smuggling syndicate, as the seized products are believed to be sent out of Africa to Vietnam, starting in Mozambique and transiting Thailand, he added.
The three denied the charges and said they will fight the case in court.
The officers were arrested on Jan 6 while trying to take a bag out through a customs lane at the airport, telling authorities that it belonged to a ‘pooyai', according to the division commander. The claim prompted the customs officials and police to check on the luggage and they allegedly found four horns weighing 10.6 kilogrammes, estimated to be worth 12.7 million baht on the black market.
Authorities traced the bag and found that the owner was Pham Quang Loc, a Vietnamese citizen, flying into Bangkok from Mozambique by Ethiopia Airlines on that day. He was waiting to catch another flight to Vietnam.
The wildlife police interrogated Mr Loc, filed smuggling charges against him and sent him to await trial at Samut Prakan Prison, Pol Maj Gen Norasak said.
The alleged crime was committed on Jan 6 but the three officers were charged on Wednesday because, according to the division chief, they had been found to have connections with the Vietnamese suspect.
charge – to accuse someone officially of committing a crime ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา
wildlife – animals, birds, insects, etc. that are wild and live in a natural environment สัตว์ป่า
trafficking – dealing in illegal goods, like drugs, weapons or in illegally moving humans or animals from one place to another การค้าสิ่งที่ผิดกฎหมาย
smuggling – secretly and illegally taking goods or people into or out of a country or place การลักลอบ
file charges – to accuse someone officially of committing a crime ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา, ฟ้อง
illegal – against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย
rhinoceros – a very large thick-skinned animal from Africa or Asia, which has one or two horns on its nose แรด
station – to cause someone to be in a particular place to do a job ตั้งประจำ
summon – to officially order someone to come to a place เรียกตัว
natural resources – things such as coal, trees, wildlife and oil that exist in nature and can be used by people ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ
environmental – involving the place in which people live and work, including all the physical conditions that affect them เกี่ยวกับสภาพแวดล้อม, สิ่งแวดล้อม
suppression – stopping an activity from happening, in this case, criminal activity การปราบปราม
allegation – an accusation; a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has not been proved ข้อกล่าวหา
carcass – the body of a dead animal ซาก
tax evasion – deliberately not paying the taxes you owe การหนีภาษี
suspect – to believe that something is true, especially something bad สงสัย
linked – connected เชื่อมต่อ เชื่อมโยง
syndicate – a group of people or companies who work together and help each other in order to achieve a particular aim สมาคม, องค์การ, สหการ , การรวมกลุ่มเป็นสมาคม
seized – taken away by force or official power ถูกยึกครอง
transit – to move something from one place to another ส่งผ่าน
deny – to say that something is not true ปฏิเสธ
arrested – caught by the police and taken to a police station because you are believed to have committed a crime ถูกจับกุม
commander – a police offer of high rank ผู้บังคับบัญชา
claim – saying that something is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it ข้ออ้าง ข้อกล่าวหา
prompt – to cause someone to take action กระตุ้น
Customs Department – a government department which checks and collects taxes on goods leaving or entering the country กรมศุลกากร
luggage – baggage; all the cases and bags that you take with you when you travel กระเป๋าเดินทาง
allegedly – claimed to have done something wrong, but not yet proven ที่กล่าวหา
trace – to follow the evidence to find out something ตามรอย ตามทาง
interrogate – to ask someone a lot of questions in order to get information สอบถาม,ซักถาม
trial – the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether someone has or has not committed a crime การพิจารณาคดี
suspect – a person who is thought to have committed a crime ผู้ต้องสงสัย
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