SONGKHLA — In the case of three oil smuggling boats that were seized by officials as evidence but subsequently disappeared from Sattahip Port in Chonburi Province for several days before officials found them at the border of Malaysian waters and brought them back, not only were 9 crew members affected and prosecuted, but 8 dogs on the boats also became strays.
On June 24, the dog rescue team from The Hope Songkhla, led by Ms. Somkid Bungachat, went to check on the condition of the 8 dogs rescued from the oil smuggling boats. The dogs were sent for physical and mental rehabilitation at Kru Nong K9 Dog Training Center in Khuan Lang Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, since June 20.
Somkid said that all 8 dogs are now well cared for by trainers in terms of welfare and physical condition, and their overall health has improved. They are in the process of adjusting to the new environment and are not as cheerful as they should be. They don’t eat pellet dog food, only wet dog food.
Currently, they are given goat’s milk, and their meals will likely be increased to twice a day, with an emphasis on exercise to relieve stress.
“There are two dogs that are still quite concerning. One is quite thin and unfamiliar with the cage. It bit the cage until it got wounded on the cheek and is currently being treated. But it has started eating. It still appears depressed because it misses its owner. Some dogs have swollen paws and fungal infections on their feet that need medication. A doctor will come to do blood tests to see if any of them have abnormal symptoms,” she said.
Somkid also said that veterinarians will check the two female dogs to see if they are pregnant. If not, they will be spayed immediately. All 8 dogs will start getting spayed/neutered next week. After that, they may be moved to an animal shelter under the care of The Hope Thailand organization.
“We are currently waiting for an official letter from the Songkhla Marine Police Commander to hand over all 8 dogs, as the relatives of the dogs’ owners do not wish to take care of them. As for the other 3 dogs, it is reported that they are currently well cared for by the police at the 6th Division, Suppression Bureau. They are healthy and strong,” she said.
Regarding the progress of the case investigation, Pol. Maj. Gen. Charoongkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, revealed that all 9 suspected crew members are being investigated to determine if they were involved in the disappearance of the evidence ships. If involved, they will be prosecuted quickly. It is expected that everything will be clearer on Monday, July 1.
This case occurred on the evening of June 11 at the Marine Police Pier in Sattahip District, Chonburi Province, when three modified fishing boats, which were evidence in an illegal oil trading case, were taken from the dock and disappeared into the darkness along with more than 300,000 liters of illegal oil. The officials didn’t realize until late morning the next day.
Officials found the ships on June 17 in the Gulf of Thailand at the border of Malaysian waters and brought them back to port. However, it was discovered that out of the 320,000 liters of oil on the boats, only 5,000 liters remained. These three evidence boats are valued at approximately 30 million baht.
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