Two Indian women were detained at Bangkok’s international airport as they prepared to fly with more than 100 live animals in their suitcases, including snakes, turtles and armadillos, Thai wildlife officials said on Tuesday. The kingdom is a notorious hub for wildlife trafficking, usually to major markets such as Vietnam or China, where they are used in traditional medicine.
Wildlife officers found two armadillos, two porcupines, 20 snakes, 35 turtles and 50 chameleons stuffed in two pieces of luggage belonging to the passengers. Two dead iguanas were also found while all the hidden reptiles were suffering from dehydration, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Flora said in a Facebook post.
The animals were discovered when Nitya Raja, 38, and Zakia Sultana, 24, went through X-ray machines at Suvarnabhumi airport between Sunday and Monday night, authorities said. They were supposed to go to Chennai, India.
estimated at $5,600
“Such a case has already happened several times, because these animals are sold at high prices in IndiaSutton Kongon, head of the wildlife inspection office in Suvarnabhumi, told AFP. He estimated the market value of these animals, believed to have been bred in Thailand, to be around $5,600. “Pet trade is commonly found at the Thailand-Myanmar border and on domestic flights“, he added.
The department added that the animals, once taken care of, will be transferred to an animal center or a breeding center. The two women have been charged under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, the Animal Epidemic Act and the Customs Act. They are now being held at the airport police station awaiting trial.
Source: Le Figaro
