Corrupt
officer caught by Thai Police in smuggling attempt
February
2013. On February 2 Thai policemen pulled a vehicle over at a checkpoint. The
driver turned out to be an off duty policeman, and his was found in possession
of 20 elephant tusks, hidden in bags of fertilizer, and a firearm.
FREELAND (A
Thai NGO) applauds the Royal Thai Police for foiling a cross border elephant
tusk smuggling operation, and for arresting a main culprit and exposing
corruption.
The
suspect claimed that he was hired to smuggle the elephant tusks from Malaysia
into Thailand. The suspect was arrested and charged for violating Thailand's
Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act (WARPA) and for carrying
unregistered weapons.
Thailand
a hub for illegal ivory
FREELAND, which provides tip-offs and training to law enforcement agencies to counter wildlife crime, has observed that elephant tusks are being laundered into Asian markets to be mixed with legal stocks or are sold quickly as carvings. The price of ivory in Thailand remains high as most consumers remain unaware that most ivory carvings come from illegal elephant poaching. Currently, Africa is experiencing high levels of violent and rampant elephant poaching, sponsored by organized crime groups that are smuggling the tusks into Asia. In the last year, tusks from thousands of dead elephants have been seized as they were smuggled from Africa into Asia.
FREELAND, which provides tip-offs and training to law enforcement agencies to counter wildlife crime, has observed that elephant tusks are being laundered into Asian markets to be mixed with legal stocks or are sold quickly as carvings. The price of ivory in Thailand remains high as most consumers remain unaware that most ivory carvings come from illegal elephant poaching. Currently, Africa is experiencing high levels of violent and rampant elephant poaching, sponsored by organized crime groups that are smuggling the tusks into Asia. In the last year, tusks from thousands of dead elephants have been seized as they were smuggled from Africa into Asia.
Thailand
is set to host the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) in Bangkok in March. Trade in ivory and
enforcement matters will be high on the agenda of the 180 country UN body.
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