Thai raid exposes gorilla smuggling attempt via Turkish airport
Thai police took decisive action yesterday, December 25, raiding a trading company in Nakhon Pathom linked to an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle a gorilla into the country. The Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court authorised a search warrant for TK Farm International Trading, located in Mueang district after Turkish customs intercepted the infant gorilla at Istanbul Airport.
Customs officials at Istanbul Airport discovered the gorilla during a random search in transit from Nigeria to Bangkok via Turkey. Atthapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, confirmed the gorilla was found in a wooden crate without certification from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The animal is now under the care of veterinarians in Turkey.
The Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate at Istanbul Airport made the breakthrough while monitoring a shipment as part of a wildlife protection risk analysis effort. The shipment, dated December 22, was declared to contain 50 rabbits destined for Thailand.
“The discovery raises concerns about the potential involvement of airport workers in both Thailand and Nigeria in the illegal wildlife trade, with the company in Nakhon Pathom possibly acting as a facilitator,” Atthapol said.
Thai and Turkish officials have exchanged reports identifying the link between the smuggled gorilla and TK Farm. Police Major General Watcharin Phusit, commander of the police Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, confirmed this connection.
TK Farm is legally registered as an animal importer and breeder and operates a shop in Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market. When approached by law enforcement, the farm’s owner, Siriwat Suphakitkasem, explained that an African man named David had recently contacted the company to import 50 rabbits.
Gorilla smuggling
Siriwat, a 44 year old man, revealed that his company agreed to manage the import procedures and documentation for a fee of 150,000 baht (US$4,390). He claimed to have received 50 rabbits in two crates, which were later disposed of and insisted he was unaware of the gorilla’s presence in the shipment.
Police are now expanding their investigation into TK Farm to verify the registration of other animals discovered during the search, according to Pol. Maj. Gen. Watcharin.
Gorillas are listed in Appendix I of the CITES list, prohibiting their import into Thailand. Atthapol noted that the only gorilla currently residing in Thailand is Bua Noi, housed in a zoo atop a Bangkok department store for over 40 years, reported Bangkok Post.
This gorilla was imported before the 1992 ban, despite ongoing calls from animal rights activists for its release.
