Vietnamese man caught with 6.9 million baht rhino horns at Bangkok airport
Wildlife parts discovered after transits through Angola and Ethiopia
Officials from the Customs Department arrested a Vietnamese man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Saturday, September 6, for trafficking rhino horns valued at approximately 6.9 million baht.
The spokesperson for Thai Customs, Phanthong Loykunlanan, stated that customs officers were acting in line with the policy of the department’s director, Teerat Auttanawanit, which prioritises the suppression of wildlife trafficking.
According to Phanthong, customs officials relied on passenger information and news intelligence through the advance passenger screening and verification system to identify people at risk of smuggling illegal goods. This operation led to the identification of the Vietnamese suspect attempting to smuggle rhino horns to Laos.
Customs officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport apprehended the man upon his arrival at 7.45pm on Saturday. He had departed from Luanda, Angola, transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before flying to Bangkok, with plans to continue on to Vientiane, Laos.
The man reportedly matched the profile of a suspect previously flagged by Thai customs, which led to his arrest.
A search of his luggage revealed five rhino horns weighing around 6.9 kilogrammes. The animal parts are estimated to be worth about 6.9 million baht.
The offence is considered a violation of the Customs Act, the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, and the Animal Epidemics Act. Officials did not clarify the specific charges or penalties the man will face.
This incident follows another wildlife trafficking crackdown last week in Bangkok, when police seized a bearcat and a slow loris from a Thai couple who attempted to sell the protected animals online via Facebook.
In July, a Sri Lankan man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after attempting to traffic three snakes concealed in netted bags hidden inside his underwear.
The man had previously been arrested in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for possession of numerous animals, including wolves, meerkats, black cockatiels, sugar gliders, porcupines, ball pythons, iguanas, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.
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