Massive Ivory Haul Intercepted By Thailand Customs

Published : February 26, 2010 :: 12:02:37 [ 1,007 views ]

Thai customs have successfully intercepted a US$3 million consignment of ivory at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. The cargo was falsely labelled as telecommunications equipment bound for Laos.

Bangkok, the 25^th of February 2010 [PDN]: Thai customs authorities announced on Thursday that they had successfully intercepted a massive consignment of elephant tusks from Africa. Over 200 tusks where discovered, believed to be worth US$3.6 million.

The haul, weighing in excess of 2 tonnes has been described as the largest ivory bust in Thailand’s recent history. Customs officials stated that they had been acting on a tip-off that a consignment of ivory from South Africa was bound for Thailand via Dubai. Ivory is in high demand in Asia with the consignment seized in Bangkok believed to be heading for China.

Thailand is a major transit hub for the trafficking of wildlife products and as such has been placed on an international blacklist for illegal trade in endangered species. At present Thailand is attempting to be removed from the list, with Sulma Warne from TRAFFIC, an organisation which monitors the illegal wildlife trade, stating that the recent bust should go some way to helping Thailand’s appeal, although, further steps needed to be taken to crackdown on the smugglers.

“The fines and the punishments that are handed out tend not to be significant enough for people not to engage or re-engage in such criminal activities. So, we would certainly like to see the enforcement or the punishments ramped up,” said Sulma.

Customs officials have subsequently revealed that a Thai national had come to collect the consignment of ivory and has been arrested. At present it is not clear whether any charges have been laid though. International trade in Ivory was banned by the United Nations in 1989, but smuggling is still prevalent in many parts of Africa and Asia.

Comments

Eric

said :

The value of the ivory is irrelevant....The shipment was intercepted so some one will be losing out. They need to be wheedled and imprisoned or better still, pull thier bastard teeth out. See how they like it. This kind of crap needs to be stopped. The people on the receiving end of the address needs to be punished severely. In this day and age this kind of thing should NOT be happening.

Email : thekingsshilling@gmail.com Date : 2010-02-27 00:27:39

Edwin Wiek

said :

It is of course great that this shipment got stopped, but the value is over exaggerated. The shipment is worth about 350,000 US dollars and not 3 million.

Email : edwin.wiek@wfft.org Date : 2010-02-26 15:51:17

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