3 poachers caught with wildlife carcasses in Kanchanaburi
Three Karen poachers were apprehended in the Thong Pha Phum National Park in Kanchanaburi province following a tip-off from a concerned citizen. The suspects were caught with homemade firearms and numerous wildlife carcasses.
Yutthaphong Damsrisuk, the head of Thong Pha Phum National Park, reported that Chalermchai Sri-on, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, along with senior officials, have implemented stringent anti-poaching policies within national parks. Chutidet Kamonchanut, the director of the Conservation Area Management Office 3 (Ban Pong), directed parks in Kanchanaburi to adhere strictly to these policies.
Between January 21 and 27, park officials, led by Piyanes Patrasasawatwong, deputy commander of the Lat Ya Task Force, along with military personnel and forest rangers, conducted a patrol in response to a tip-off about illegal hunting activities near the Thai-Myanmar border. Starting from Ban Mai Phatthana village, the team trekked to the target areas of Huai Talung Kho and Huai Ong Phra.
By 9am on January 25, the patrol reached Huai Ong Phra forest in Songkhlaburi district, where they noticed smoke, indicating a nearby camp. Upon investigation, they found evidence of a hunting camp, including makeshift beds and a bamboo meat-roasting rack with wildlife remains. The team laid an ambush and later heard gunshots from different directions.
At 6.40pm, they observed a man carrying a homemade firearm walking towards the camp. The officers revealed themselves and arrested three individuals: 48 year old Ta Sui, 39 year old Eka Lu Thu, and 27 year old Saw Ka Lay, all Karen nationals residing in a temporary shelter for war refugees in Sangkhla Buri.
The officials confiscated 15 items used in the illegal activities. These included smoked python carcasses weighing 1.2 kilogrammes, smoked monitor lizard carcasses weighing 1 kilogramme, and a smoked porcupine stomach weighing 400 grammes. Three homemade firearms with varying barrel lengths were seized from each suspect. Additional items included three sets of ammunition, knives, slingshots, torches, and hammocks.
The suspects confessed to entering the park on foot with the intent to hunt, starting from their refuge on January 20. They used the firearms, each carrying one, for hunting purposes. Following their confession, officials documented the evidence and transferred the suspects to the Sangkhla Buri Police Station for legal proceedings under the National Park Act of 2019, the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act of 2019, and the National Reserved Forest Act of 1964, reported KhaoSod.
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