December 20, 2008
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai customs officers said Friday they had rescued 130 pangolins and arrested one man attempting to smuggle the endangered animals out of the country.
Customs officers intercepted a truck in Thailand's central Prachuab Khirikhan province late Thursday night and found the pangolins, or scaly anteaters, trapped in 26 cases.
The mammals are usually exported to China via neighbouring Laos, for cooking.
Customs officials estimated the pangolins, brought up by truck from southern Songkhla province, were worth 650,000 baht (18,800 dollars).
The Thai driver was arrested and charged with possessing and smuggling endangered wildlife, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Trade in Asian pangolins has been illegal since 2000. Their meat is regarded as a delicacy in China and their scales are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.
