BANGKOK: Thai customs has arrested two Japanese for wildlife smuggling. They were tourists arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle forbidden wildlife to Nagoya. Customs officials took Naoki Hiraguchi, 39, and Toshikazu Kawai, 39, into custody about the seizure of many exotic animals found hidden in their suitcases.
Thailand is one of the world’s biggest hubs for wildlife trafficking, but in recent years, the country has tried to shed its reputation as a source and destination for exotic meat and rare pets.
But demand from China, including for tiger parts and ivory tusks, has fuelled a thriving trade in illicit wildlife. Animal rights activists have also expressed concerns about the welfare of animals at tourist attractions across Thailand, which has popular elephant camps, monkey shows and tiger farms. Illegal trade of animals in the country is rife, as wildlife parts are often used for traditional east Asian medicines.
The World Animal Protection also revealed that 150 pangolins were saved from a cruel fate as they were being smuggled to China via Thailand. They were seized by the Thai Army. The trade in pangolins is conducted primarily to satisfy demand for their scales, which are believed to have strong medical benefits in traditional Chinese medicine.
