An investigation panel of multilateral organisations will be set up to track down those involved in the transnational illegal ivory trade following a major bust of more than three tonnes of tusks, officials said Tuesday.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dapong Rattanasuwan (left-centre) hefts a piece of elephant tusk during a press briefing at the Customs Department on the seizure of illegal ivory weighing 3.1 tonnes. (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dapong Rattanasuwan has instructed Deputy National Police Chief Chalermkiat Srivorakhan to set up a working group of combined agencies, including the Customs Department, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Foreign Ministry, the Royal Thai Police Office and the International Criminal Police Organisation.
Gen Dapong announced the seizure of 511 pieces of tusk weighing 3.1 tonnes and worth more than 200 million baht in a container ferried by the PHL Felicitas cargo ship which docked at the Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri on Saturday.
The goods in the container were declared as tea leaves weighing 11 tonnes. The consignment, which was shipped out of Kenya, was destined for Laos.
The panel will determine who was connected to the illegal ivory trade racket from the point of origin to the destination, said Pol Gen Chalermkiat. Kenya and Laos will be contacted to share information on the case.
According to the briefing, a transport firm alerted authorities about irregularities found in a false shipping document which indicated the container was imported by the Laos-based Soupha Song Import-Export Co. Investigators used tracking technologies to locate the container.
The container was to be shipped from Kenya on March 24. The cargo went through Sri Lankan and Malaysian ports before arriving at a port in Singapore on April 19.
The container was shipped out of Singapore on April 21 and arrived at the Laem Chabang port four days later.
Deputy Finance Minister Wisut Srisuphan and Customs Department director-general Somchai Satjapong also attended the briefing.