2
separate shipments of illegal wildlife seized
December
2012. Thai authorities have rescued 343 tortoises and freshwater turtles
believed to be destined for markets in Hong Kong and arrested two men who were
delivering the consignment for shipping. In a separate incident, snakes,
scorpions and even centipedes were found in the luggage of a passenger due to
fly to Doha.
Turtles
and tortoises packed into polystyrene boxes
Acting on information, officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), Royal Thai Customs and the Fisheries Department seized 343 turtles and tortoises packed into bags and stuffed into polystyrene boxes for transport.
Acting on information, officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), Royal Thai Customs and the Fisheries Department seized 343 turtles and tortoises packed into bags and stuffed into polystyrene boxes for transport.
Bangkok
Airport
The haul found at the Cargo Complex of Suvarnabhumi International Airport included the Endangered Asian Brown Tortoise and the Giant Asian Pond Turtle, which is listed as Vulnerable. These turtles and tortoises are traded throughout the region, largely for use as food and medicine. International trade in both is restricted through their listing in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The turtles and tortoises have been sent to a Government rescue centre in Suphan Buri.
The haul found at the Cargo Complex of Suvarnabhumi International Airport included the Endangered Asian Brown Tortoise and the Giant Asian Pond Turtle, which is listed as Vulnerable. These turtles and tortoises are traded throughout the region, largely for use as food and medicine. International trade in both is restricted through their listing in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The turtles and tortoises have been sent to a Government rescue centre in Suphan Buri.
The
men arrested in this case are expected to face multiple charges under the Wild
Animal Reservation and Protection Act.
Tortoises
and freshwater turtles are among the world's most threatened groups of animals
and are commonly encountered in seizures. The Turtle Conservation Coalition has
estimated that tortoises and freshwater turtles native to Asia made up 68 per
cent of such species in the top 25 most threatened worldwide.
Based
on published reports and information from the DNP, TRAFFIC estimates
that at least 5,821 tortoises and freshwater turtles have been confiscated from
smugglers in Thailand between 2003 and 2011. Earlier this year, an Indian
national was arrested at the Suvarnabhumi Airport with 890 Indian Star
Tortoises in his suitcase.
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