Wildlife traders arrested with elephant tusks and tails

Tak provincial police yesterday (Mar 14) arrested two wildlife traders after finding 24 elephant tusks and 16 elephant tails in their pickup truck.

The two suspects Saitarn Maliwan, 45, the driver, and his passenger Bunoeng Uttawat, 54, a mahout, were ordered to stop for search after their vehicle passed Huay Ya-u checkpoint in Tak.

Both confessed to the police that they bought the elephant tusks and tails from Myanmar poachers at the border for resale to customers in the northeastern provinces.

They said the tusks were meant for home decoration while the tails for talismans.

Tak provincial police deputy commander Pol Col Tararak Parameesa said the seizure and arrest came after the police have been given instruction by the Royal Thai Police to crack down on ivory trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species which Thailand is a member country.

He said both were detained for having tusks for trade which carries a high penalty of 3 years in jail and 6 million baht in fines.

He added that the police investigators would expand investigation into the original place of the crime so as to bring all those involved for trials.

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