BANGKOK — An Algerian man who posted on social media showing Rhesus and Pig-tailed Macaques as pets was arrested at his residence in Bangkok.
Attapol Charoenchansa, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, revealed on November 15 that officers took action after receiving a public complaint to investigate a foreign national who allegedly kept a pig-tailed macaque and a long-tailed macaque as pets. Pictures of the wild animals were posted on TikTok and Instagram.
On November 14, Nawee Changpirom, director of the Natural Resources Coordination Department and head of the Wildlife Crime Suppression Team (Wild Hawk Unit), led officers from the Wildlife Conservation Office and Division 1 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Department to execute a search warrant from the Phra Khanong Criminal Court. The search took place at Soi On Nut 66, Lane 19-12-2, Prawet District, Bangkok.
During the search, the suspect, identified as Djamel Zinedine, an Algerian national, was found in possession of four protected wild animals: two male long-tailed macaque juveniles and two male pig-tailed macaque juveniles, with a total estimated value of THB 30,000.
The suspect claimed that he had come to Thailand to study and had rented the property as a residence. He stated he had received the monkeys from an unidentified person and had no legal papers or permits to own or breed the animals.
Authorities arrested the suspect and charged him with unlawful possession of protected wildlife under Section 17 of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2562 (2019), which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or both.
The confiscated wildlife and related equipment were handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Office’s Wildlife Health Management Division for proper care and safekeeping.
Attapol emphasized the department’s strict measures against illegal wildlife trade, wildlife possession, and online wildlife trade, as well as activities in border areas and domestic markets. He urged the public to report any evidence of wildlife-related crimes through the department’s hotline number 1362.
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