Vietnamese man arrested at Suvarnabhumi with rhino horns
A Vietnamese man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, February 9, after officials discovered nearly 12 kilograms of rhino horns hidden inside his luggage during a joint wildlife trafficking operation.
Sadudee Phanphakdee, director of the Office of Wildlife and Plant Protection, reported that the arrest was made during a coordinated operation involving C.I.Q. agencies, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Police.
Officials said the suspect was allegedly attempting to smuggle the illegal wildlife products through Thailand to a neighbouring country.
Komkrit Pinsai, head of the Wildlife Inspection Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport, stated that the arrest took place at around 8pm when officers inspected a piece of checked baggage after an X-ray scan detected irregularities inside a foam box.
The luggage was traced to a 36 year old Vietnamese passenger travelling from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Officials said the man had transited through Ethiopia and Thailand, and was preparing to continue his journey to Vientiane, Laos, on Thai Airways flight TG574.
A detailed search conducted at the wildlife inspection facility reportedly uncovered six rhino horns bundled into three packages, weighing a total of 11.75 kilograms.
Officers also found three pieces of animal skin weighing 12 kilograms, which had been used to conceal the horns. An iPhone 14 Pro Max was seized as evidence and believed to have been used in the alleged offence.
Officers said the suspect was unable to present any permits for the export or import of wildlife products. He now faces multiple charges under Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act 2019 for unauthorised transit of wildlife, the Customs Act 2017 for importing restricted goods, and the Animal Epidemics Act 2015.
The suspect and the seized items were handed over to investigators at Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station for legal proceedings.
Officials confirmed that the rhino horns were transferred to the Wildlife Forensic Laboratory Centre for species verification as part of the investigation.
In similar news, an Indian passenger was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after allegedly attempting to smuggle live wildlife out of Thailand. Two endangered langurs were reportedly discovered hidden inside a suitcase bound for Mumbai.
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