November 18, 2009
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai police said Tuesday they have arrested a Thai couple in Bangkok on charges of illegally trading African ivory after a tip-off by US authorities.
Police on Monday picked up Kanokwan Wongsaroj, 38, at work, while her brother-in-law, Samart Chokechoyma, 36, was arrested at home.
"Two Thais were arrested yesterday after police investigated a tip-off from the US and found the pair were involved with the illegal ivory trade," Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanayos Kengkasikij told AFP.
"They were involved with smuggling ivory from Africa to send to the United States and were charged with wildlife trading and smuggling," he said.
If found guilty, the pair face a maximum of four years in prison and fines of up to 40,000 baht (1,150 dollars) under Thailand’s wildlife laws, and up to 100,000 baht (2,950 dollars) under its Customs Act.
The arrests also follow a year-long investigation by Thailand's environmental crime police with assistance from international wildlife organisations, including the Bangkok-based Freeland campaign.
Thailand is a commonly-used transit point for smugglers, said Freeland director Steve Galster.
"Traffickers have been moving large amounts of endangered species across this region’s borders for far too long," Galster said in a statement.
"Successful enforcement actions like this demonstrate that wildlife criminals operating in Southeast Asia need to watch their backs," he added.
The global illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth 10-30 billion dollars annually, according to Freeland.
