Thai
customs officials have seized 600 deadly cobras after stopping a vehicle at a
checkpoint in a central region of the country.
The
reptiles came from Malaysia and were being shipped through Thailand for use in
traditional medicine or for food in another country, according to customs
officials.
They
were apparently destined for Laos.
The
cobras were packed into mesh bags inside around 100 plastic baskets and put
inside a truck for the long slow journey up from Malaysia. Some of them died on
the way.
Working
on a tip-off, the authorities set up a specialist X-ray checkpoint in Pranburi,
about 230km south of Bangkok, to seize the shipment of venomous animals.
The
driver of the vehicle was arrested and the snakes were put into the care of
Thailand's Department of National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
"It's
a lot (of snakes)," said the head of Thai customs, Benja Louichareon.
"The
Bureau of Investigation and Suppression have been tracking this case for a
year," she added.
Thailand
is a major transit country for wildlife trafficking and this seizure follows
that of 4,300 cobras in May. Tigers and pangolins are also among recent finds
by police.
Officials
estimate that the haul was worth around 500,000 baht (£10,500) to the
smugglers.
The
snakes that survived the ordeal will be released into the wild.
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