Arya News - Critically endangered species sold for THB300,000 (US$9k).
BANGKOK – Two baby orangutans were rescued by Thai police, with assistance from international agencies, as they were about to be handed over to a buyer in Bangkok. A suspected courier was arrested at the scene.
Arrest Made at Bangkok Petrol Station
The suspect, Thanasit, 47, was arrested at a petrol station on Prasert Manukit Road, in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district, after arriving on a motorcycle with the two baby orangutans placed in a basket strapped to the pillion seat.
International Agencies Support Wildlife Operation
Officers from Thailand’s Environmental Crime Suppression Division, along with officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), conducted the operation. The raid followed a tip-off from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wildlife Justice Commission (Netherlands), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Thai authorities have been working with these international partners to investigate a wildlife trafficking gang suspected of illegally selling baby orangutans. The animals are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Critically Endangered Species Sold for 300,000 Baht Each
Orangutans are listed under CITES Appendix I, meaning they are critically endangered and international trade is strictly prohibited.
When officers emerged from their stakeout and stopped the suspect, they discovered two orangutans, named by the gang as Christopher (approximately one year old) and Stefan (around one month old), inside the basket.
Thanasit told police he had been hired to deliver the animals, which were being sold at 300,000 baht each.
Police said they are now working to identify and arrest the person who hired Thanasit, as part of their ongoing crackdown on wildlife trafficking networks.