Two in Thailand held for smuggling carcasses from Malaysia

BANGKOK: Thai police have arrested two men in connection with the smuggling of tiger and leopard carcasses from Malaysia.

They picked up the men – a Thai and a Vietnamese – in Kannayao yesterday and seized the carcasses of two tigers and two leopards.

Central Investigation Bureau deputy chief Maj-Gen Sriwara Rangpramnakun said initial investigations revealed that the carcasses were destined for China, enroute Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

He said the carcasses were smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia through Sadao in Songkhla.

According to the police, the men claimed that the dead tigers could fetch up to 700,000 baht (RM70,000) each.

Perhilitan, the Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department, said it had come across quite a number of cases of Malaysian-registered luxury cars being modified to hide illicit cargo of endangered animals.

Another tactic was to hide illegal wildlife by mixing them with products such as fish and vegetables while some traffickers try to pass off the animals as airline cargo.

Under the Wildlife Conservation Act, which went into effect recently, those caught smuggling endangered wildlife could face a fine of up to RM500,000 and mandatory jail time. – Bernama