Six suspects were arrested and have been charged with endangered animal trafficking. They could face up to 15 years in prison and fined 1.5 million baht, or the equivalent of USD$43,000.
More than 900 spider (Pyxis arachnoides) and radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) that were poached from the wild in Madagascar have been repatriated back to the island after spending more than seven months in Thailand where they were seized from animal traffickers.
According to a story in Cambodianess.com, police in Thailand confiscated the tortoises and other live and dead animals during a raid in the southern province of Chumphon. It was the largest seizure in the country, according to the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Six suspects were arrested and have been charged with endangered animal trafficking. They could face up to 15 years in prison and fined 1.5 million baht, or the equivalent of USD$43,000. According to wildlife NGO TRAFFIC, Thailand is the largest legal importer and exporter of CITES-listed wildlife from Madagascar.
Thai Smugglers Captured With An Estimated 14 Percent Of Ploughshare Tortoises Population
More Than 6,000 Indian Star Tortoises Seized From Wildlife Traffickers in 2017
Smuggling of illegal reptiles through Thailand is rampant. In 2017, more than 6,000 Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) were seized from wildlife traffickers around the world, including 330 seized at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. And this is in spite of the fact that the Indian star tortoise is widely captive bred for the pet trade.
In 2013, Thai smugglers were captured with an estimated 14 percent of Madagascar’s ploughshare tortoise population. They were also seized at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. The man and a woman who attempted to smuggle 54 critically endangered ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) and 21 critically endangered radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) into Thailand were arrested.
