Almost 800 kg of smuggled elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth 40 million baht in total have been seized by customs officers at Samui international airport in Surat Thani province.
The Customs Department on Friday announced the seizure of 281 ivory tusks, weighing 789 kg, and 12 bags containing 587kg of pangolin scales. These banned products were seized at Samui customs checkpoint on Dec 10, said Kulit Sombatsiri, director-general of the department.
The seizure followed a police investigation into reports smugglers had brought a large quantity of elephant tusks into the country through a regional airport to avoid inspection, said Mr Kulit.
The department was working closely with the Royal Thai Police and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to stamp out ivory smuggling, particularly tusks from Africa that were brought into the country illegally and later carved and sold as decorative local ivory, Mr Kulit said.
An X-ray scan of cargo at Samui international airport revealed the 281 ivory tusks, worth about 38 million baht, and pangolin scales worth about 2 million baht. The contraband had been sent from Nigeria, in West Africa, via Singapore on Dec 8.
Authorities would extend the investigation and arrest those involved, he said.