In early April, officials shared reports of a thwarted smuggling attempt in Thailand that sounds like it could have easily served as a plotline in season three of “The White Lotus.”
On April 4, Sadudee Phanpakdee, director of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, confirmed that officers at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Wildlife Checkpoint discovered suspicious luggage belonging to a 52-year-old passenger.
The man was en route to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, when his assorted luggage — containing 21 large foam boxes — was seized.
“The first 20 crates contained aquatic plants and animals that were legally permitted,” wrote a spokesperson for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on Facebook.
“The last crates contained rare animals that were not permitted for export, including 10 iguanas in three plastic crates, six freshwater crocodiles in three plastic crates, and five horned frogs in one plastic crate.”
Fortunately, the officials went on to say, all 21 animals were found alive and well.
“The iguanas were sent to the Wildlife Health Management Group, Wildlife Conservation Office, Department of National Parks, while the freshwater crocodiles and horned frogs are under the care of the Suvarnabhumi Airport Fisheries Checkpoint,” the department said.
After the seizure, the officers pressed a total of three charges in relation to the country’s laws on exported protected and controlled wildlife without permission.
The department was particularly concerned with the illegal transportation of six juvenile freshwater crocodiles, which are critically endangered in Thailand.
The species, which has been declining due to wetland degradation and overhunting, is believed to have fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
In its post, the department added that the illegal trade of wildlife and rare animals “is a major problem affecting biodiversity worldwide.”
This latest story comes months after one of the largest seizures of illegally transported animals of all time.
In November, over 1,000 highly endangered tortoises and lemurs were smuggled into Thailand under inhumane circumstances to be sold off as exotic pets.
According to CNN, a total of 961 animals were rescued in the recovery effort. Over the course of three flights, the animals were returned to their natural habitats in Madagascar.
“By conducting operations like this and broadcasting them globally, it shows that there are arrests and exchanges happening, making people worldwide aware that possessing these animals is not right,” Attapol Charoenchansa, former director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, told CNN at the time.
“Some might think that if they have the money, they can buy and collect them — but that’s not the case.”
Header images via Pixabay and Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation / Facebook
