NONTHABURI — In a collaborative effort between Thai law enforcement and US wildlife authorities, the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) has arrested a 60-year-old man in connection with illegal wildlife trafficking, seizing three complete tiger carcasses in a raid conducted in Bang Bua Thong district, Nonthaburi province.
Chalee Meepra was apprehended at his residence in Bang Rak Pattana subdistrict, where authorities discovered the tiger remains. He faces charges of “possession and trading of protected wildlife specimens without proper authorization.”
The arrest comes as part of a broader international cooperation initiative between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau, the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
This joint operation targets transnational wildlife trafficking networks in Southeast Asia under the US Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Asia project.
During interrogation, Meepra confessed that the specimens were Sumatran tigers obtained from Indonesia approximately 40 years ago. He admitted to attempting to sell the carcasses, initially asking for 900,000 baht ($25,000) before negotiating down to 200,000 baht ($5,700) due to financial difficulties.
This case follows a recent significant arrest where authorities apprehended a 35-year-old suspect in Nakhon Sawan Province on November 19, seizing various wildlife products including tiger skins, handbags, wallets, and bear claw keychains. That suspect had been operating an online business selling products made from illegally sourced wildlife parts, primarily from Cambodia, for several years.
The case has been transferred to Bang Bua Thong Police Station for further legal proceedings as authorities continue their crackdown on wildlife trafficking in the region.
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