Thai Customs Uncovers Another Shipment of Ivory and Rhino Horns

(February 25, 2011) Today, Thai Customs announced the seizure of a large quantity of African elephant ivory and rhino horns from a cargo shipment that arrived from Africa at 11:00 pm February 23, 2011. Customs Investigation officials at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand seized a total of 1,026.4 kg (118 tusks and 50 additional cut pieces) of ivory, along with three rhino horns weighing a total of 2.7 kg. The shipment originated in Lagos City, Nigeria and traveled via Doha, Qatar and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The seizure marks the sixth law enforcement action against ivory smugglers since an intelligence sharing meeting conducted between Thai and African wildlife task forces in late November.

The 11 containers of ivory were marked as “craft works’ and destined for an address in Pathum Thani, Thailand. Nigeria, despite having few elephants within its borders, is a major departure point for poached ivory from Africa. The black market value of the ivory is approximately US$ 1.7 million. The ivory is being stored by the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) as the investigation into the shipment continues.

With support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), FREELAND and the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network organized the November trans-continental investigation sessions that took place in Bangkok.

Since that meeting, the agencies involved, including Thai Customs, have conducted six successful law enforcement actions against ivory traffickers. There are plans for follow up meetings in Africa this coming year to continue the progress made toward bringing down the criminal syndicates behind ivory trafficking.

For more information, contact FREELAND Communications Liaison Roy Schlieben +66 2 204 2719 or +66 8 4931 9490.