KHON KAEN - A large number of protected turtles and lizards were seized from a truck abandoned by its driver after evading attempts to stop him at two police checkpoints along the Mitraparp highway on Monday afternoon.
Pol Maj Gen Jitjaroon Sriwanich, the Khon Kaen police chief, said police of Nam Phong district set up a checkpoint after receiving a report that protected animals were being transported in a truck along the Mitraparp highway to Nong Khai.
Police at the Nam Phong checkpoint tried to stop a six-wheeled Isuzu truck for a search after seeing some turtles drop from the vehicle, but the driver sped away along the highway. They contacted Khao Suan Kwang district police to intercept the vehicle.
But the truck also managed to slip past the checkpoint set up by Khao Suan Kwang district police and continued fleeing toward Non Sa-ad district of Udon Thani province, where police were waiting at another checkpoint.
The driver of the truck, obviously aware he would not be able to finish his delivery, abandoned the truck near Ban Nam Kliang village in Non Sa-ad district and escaped.
The police found the truck shortly afterward. Its cargo included 800 turtles and 500 water lizards.
Pol Maj Gen Jitjaroon believed the protected animals were being delivered to restaurants in China through Nong Khao and Laos.
Police were looking for the driver of the truck who, if caught, will be charged with violating the Wildlife Protection Act.