Recent wildlife seizures open lid on burgeoning industry

Recent wildlife seizures open lid on burgeoning industry

Authorities suspect corruption among officials helps smugglers

A series of large hauls of live and dead wild animals _ and especially tigers _ over the past two months has blown the lid off the illegal wildlife trade and unlicensed breeding of exotic animals in Thailand.

Pol Maj GenNarasak Hemnithi, chief of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, points at a red iguana during an inspection of a zoo in Saraburi’sKaengKhoi district. Police have seizedsomeanimals as the owner cannot show the documents which entitle him to possessthem. APICHIT JINAKUL

The latest cache of 51 species of wild and rare creatures seized from a 100-rai private shelter in Saraburi's Kaeng Khoi district last week is just the start.

Pol Lt Col Atthapol Sudsai, an inspector attached to Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, said exotic animals are being bred across the country in illegal "zoos" and shipped to other countries, alive or as carcasses.

"Demand and supply, and corruption in state agencies, makes it a robust business," said the top wildlife trade buster.

Pol Lt Col Atthapol said tigers are the most desired wild animals because almost all their body parts _ whiskers, hides, eyes, sex organs or bones _ can be put to some use.

Furthermore, some people keep tigers as pets in a show of power and wealth.

Wild tigers have been driven to the edge of extinction, and it is an unfortunate irony that their increasing rarity only makes them more in demand.

Wildlife authorities have twice allowed people who possess tigers to legally register the animals with the state, in 1992 and 2003.

"Oddly, the number of registered tigers remains unchanged," Pol Col Atthapol said.

"This indicates there must be 'tiger laundering' going on, but authorities take no action."

He said the wildlife "launderers" are lobbying to have their zoos legalised so they can breed to supply the market.

Pol Col Atthapol said the illegally kept tigers are typically killed when they reach 18 months old so their body parts can be sold, with the slaughtered ones being replaced by cubs.

Keeping a tiger incurs monthly expenses of about 10,000 baht, so it is not profitable for the illegal traders to keep them alive once they reach maturity.

Pol Col Atthapol's division has identified several targets in Chiang Mai, Chaiyaphum, Ubon Ratchathani, Chon Buri, Sa Kaeo, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok and Saraburi in its effort to curb the trade.

He said these targets are connected and financed by the same investors with close political affiliations.

"It's time to speak up. The longer I work, the more I feel for these animals. It's time for us to act," he said.

He said the arrest of Anucha Sae Ma in Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district and confiscation of 400kg of tiger meat along with carcasses and parts of other wild animals early last month is linked to an illegal zoo in Chaiyaphum which was raided in September.

In that raid, two leopard cubs were impounded. It was estimated that together they would have fetched 1-1.5 million baht if sold to overseas buyers.

Regarding the raid of the private animal shelter in Kaeng Khoi district, Pol Lt Col Atthapol said the site had been designated as a new private zoo, but the owner had not yet obtained a licence from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and could not provide documents to show where he had obtained the animals.

Pol Maj Gen Narasak Hemnithi, commander of Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, said authorities would work harder to stamp out the illegal wildlife trade.

He said the agency will no longer rely on complaints to be lodged before acting. Field agents will be used in the target areas to trace the illicit trade, he said.

"Our approach will be similar to the war on drugs," he said.

Pol Maj Gen Narasak said corruption is at the heart of the illegal trade and trafficking of wildlife. In combating the crime, he will go strictly by the book.

"The racket thrives because of the involvement of state officials. They are blinded by something and ignore the illegal activity," he said. He also urged those who have concerns or information about wildlife trade and trafficking to call the division hotline on 1136.


Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th

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