BANGKOK – Pol. Maj. Gen. Wacharin Phusit, commander of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Prevention (PRD), spoke at a seminar organized by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Protection (DNP). The seminar was held on World Wildlife Day, December 23, under the theme “International Cooperation in Preventing Illegal Wildlife Trafficking”.
He said the police had enforced many laws to put the fear of God into the illegal wildlife trade gangs. He was the first to arrest the illegal trade in pangolins, which are very pitiful animals. They would stuff flour or water into their bodies to increase their weight.
There is also the problem of exporting long-tailed macaques, as they are very popular in Europe and America. They are sold in Thailand for 800-1,000 baht per animal, for 8,000-10,000 baht per animal to neighboring countries and for up to 1 million baht per animal to Europe or America if they have not been neutered.
The police have large databases that make it easier for them to expand investigations and arrests. They also cooperate with the public. In the future, they will have to share information with each other so that criminals fear the law. He also warned that photographing monkeys is a violation of the law. Releasing birds in temples is also an offense. Anyone who does this for a living should stop.
Narongrit Sukprakarn, director of the Wildlife Control Division, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department under the conventions, said investigations have revealed that transnational wildlife trafficking gangs are the same networks as drug trafficking.
“If there is no drug trafficking, they will trade in wildlife instead. They will do anything that makes money. Drug trafficking, human trafficking and arms trafficking have the same financial routes. Therefore, prevention and combating must be integrated through intensive cooperation between different authorities,” he said.
Pol. Lt. Col. Sombut Teungwiwat, Secretary General of the Freeland Foundation, said that he was involved in 5 wildlife trafficking cases that fall under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Money Laundering Office. Assets worth 1 billion baht were confiscated. Of this amount, 50 percent was transferred to the Ministry of Finance, while the other 50 percent is the property of the bureau.
So if the DNP makes an agreement with the Anti-Money Laundering Office or changes the law so that these funds can be used to support the DNP’s work in fighting wildlife trafficking or as benefits for officers who are injured or killed on duty, that would be a good thing that would make the DNP’s work more efficient.
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