AP – Thai authorities said they seized over a tonne of pangolin scales worth over THB50 million (USD1.4 million) believed to have been headed out of the country through a land border.
The scales that cover a type of anteater were found in the northeastern province of Kalasin, and apparently were meant to be transported out through Mukdahan province, which shares a border with Laos, Thai police said at a news conference in Bangkok.
Two male suspects, who were on a truck with the scales, were arrested and charged with the illegal possession of carcasses of protected animals, according to Deputy Chief of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division Ariyapol Sinsorn. The two men confessed to the charges, he said.
The pangolin scales, which have an estimated price of some THB40,000 (USD1,129) per kilogramme, are suspected to have been brought from Malaysia to Thailand, to be transported to Laos. From there, it was apparently headed for sale to clients in China, said Regional Deputy Chief of the Environmental Crime Division Kamnuan Chan-anan. He said a further investigation is being conducted to determine the route of transport.
The scales, displayed during the news conference in Bangkok, were dried and contained in fertiliser sacks bearing a Chinese character and different numbers. The authorities said they suspect the numbers are used for marking the quality of the scales.
The amount of scales is estimated to come from at least 3,000-4,000 dead pangolins, wildlife protection official Prasert Sonsatahpornkul said, adding that the scales will be tested to find out the species of the pangolins.
