Confiscated ivory and other wildlife (parts) stolen and sold on!

We often read news stories on arrests of wildlife traffickers and confiscations of protected wildlife and their parts. But what happens after? What happens to the criminals involved and will they face jail-terms or other serious punishment? What happens to the animals confiscated? Where do the animals parts such as rhino horns, ivory, skins, scales and bones go?

This table above shows the results of an investigation by us early 2012 and a three page article and documentary of ASTV on the subject. The table shows how confiscated wildlife and their parts get through the airport security and customs in most cases, but eventually still ends up on the illegal market as it is “Stolen” or “disappears” from government warehouses for confiscated goods.

Almost extinct species traded in Thailand

On 15 March, Thai authorities arrested a 38-year-old man attempting to collect a bag containing 54 ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) and 21 radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Photo: Panjit Tansom/TRAFFIC

Found only in Madagascar, both species are listed as Critically Endangered and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), but have become lucrative targets for the black-market pet trade given their scarcity and beauty.

“The criminals behind this shipment of ploughshare tortoises have effectively stolen over 10% of the estimated population in the wild,” says Chris Shepherd with TRAFFIC. Experts currently estimate that only 400 ploughshare tortoises in the wild; 54 stolen tortoises accounts for around 13 percent.

Meanwhile, the radiated tortoise once numbered in the millions. But collection for the pet trade, habitat loss, and local hunting has decimated its population. Scientists now say that without targeted conservation work the species could go extinct by mid-century.

The Thai man attempting to collect the bags, O. Visarnkol, was arrested on site. Prior to his arrest he was already on bail for smuggling protected species. The bag was registered to a Malagasy woman, Clara Rahantamalala, 25, who was traveling from Madagascar to Bangkok; she was also arrested.

“We encourage the authorities to throw the book at these two. Making an example of them will hopefully serve as a deterrent for other smugglers,” Shepherd told mongabay.com. “Releasing people on bail does not seem to be part of an effective strategy to reduce the smuggling and illegal trade.”

Fortunately since the turtles were meant for the illegal pet trade and not consumption, they were still alive when confiscated.

“The Thai authorities have placed the animals in a government rescue centre—the Bang Pra Breeding Center in Chonburi,” Shepherd explains. “It is hoped they will be repatriated back to Madagascar as soon as possible. The longer they are held in Thailand, where the climate and conditions are not the same as in Madagascar, and therefore not suitable, the higher the likelihood of higher mortality rates. Furthermore, there are experts in Madagascar ready to accept and care for the seized tortoises.”

Shepherd adds that because of their small populations in Madagascar, “every individual is incredibly valuable to the survival of the species.”

Last month, a gala ball and art auction was held in New York City to raise money for turtle conservation with the ploughshare tortoise as its highlight species.

Shepherd says that while conservation progress is being made on the ground in Madagascar, he notes that any successful attempt to save these species must be international in scope “involving Madagascar, the countries used as transit points, and the consumer countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.”

SOURCE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/25/tortoise-species-population-smugglers-bag

Note: WFFT will ask for an official stand of the Thai authorities on the repatriation of these highly endangered animals.

Police Captain caught with 20 elephant tusks on the way from Southern provinces

The scandal about the police colonel that was caught hunting for protected wildlife in a national park has not blown over yet, or another scandal has emerged. On the 2nd of February the provincial police of Chumporn (Patui district) stopped a police captain in an official vehicle belonging to the Sadao district police in Songhkla province with about 400 kilos of elephant tusks on board on the highway from the Malaysian border towards Bangkok. The police captain had no legal paperwork for the tusks in his possession, but claimed at first it was “just” local ivory of domesticated elephants. The trade in ivory within the country is legal in Thailand if it is from domestic elephants. Chumporn police however did not believe his story and found out contradicting stories during interrogation. The police captain later admitted he smuggled the tusks in from Malaysia.

The police captain risks to be immediately expelled from the police-force according to the Songkhla provincial police chief, Police Major-General Suwit Chuensiri, especially given the tight evidence found and seriousness. The police captain could be prosecuted for smuggling and possession of wildlife (parts) and theft of the minivan belonging to the state. The total value of the ivory in this bust is estimated at US$ 330,000.- (estimated by authorities).

WFFT will have to further monitor the case, as several questions remain;
will he be prosecuted?
Where did the ivory originate from?
Where was it supposed to be delivered?

Tusks and minivan on display at Chumporn police station

EVIDENCE TO BE SUBMITTED OVER OFFICER
ACCUSED OF TAKING PART IN ILLEGAL HUNT

Published: 27 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

outcry in Thai newspapers and on Social media

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department will send a legal team to help mount a case against a senior police officer who was allegedly caught hunting protected wildlife. The move follows a public outcry over the decision not to charge Pol Lt Theerayuth Ketmangmee, who was arrested on Nov 11 with eight others on suspicion of hunting in Keang Krachan National Park. The suspects were arrested with several weapons, a dead mouse deer and about 100 giant Asian river frogs. All of the alleged hunters have since been indicted except Pol Lt Theerayuth, with police saying there was not enough evidence to charge him. Pol Lt Theerayuth is the chief of an interrogation unit at Pran Buri police station in Prachaup Khiri Khan province.

Parks Department deputy chief Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said yesterday that a legal team would be formed to help Kaeng Krachan park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn gather evidence against the police officer. Mr Theerapat said the department had photos of Pol Lt Theerayuth’s camping site in deep jungle during the alleged hunting trip. The site was about 50km from the park’s tourist centre, he said.

The department recently showed the media photos of the alleged hunting party posing for photos with animal carcasses. Mr Theerapat said he was confident the evidence that park officials already had would convince prosecutors to indict Pol Lt Theerayuth. The evidence would be submitted to prosecutors next week, he said.

Mr Theerapat also called on the public to monitor the case to ensure no backroom deals were made. Parks Department chief Manophat Huamuangkaew yesterday said he had instructed Mr Chaiwat to pursue the case against Pol Lt Theerayuth. “I don’t want to see law enforcers becoming law breakers,” he said.

Deputy national police chief Pansiri Praphawat has been also reviewing the police force’s handling of the case to clear public doubt over the investigation. Pol Gen Pansiri said he would reveal his findings in the next few days.

Original article on Bangkok Post

NOTE 28 Jan 2013: WFFT has officially complained to the Petchburi prosecutor about this mis-handling of the legal case and accused the prosecutor and police of severe neglect in this matter. WFFT believes that especially officers of the law should set an example and that any wrongdoing cannot be tolerated. For a highly ranked police officer like this a 4 year jail-term and dismissal from the police force is the minimum required penalty.

UPDATE 30 Jan 2013: Prosecutor says he lacks evidence to take case to court, seems to be too busy finding more reasons to charge animal rescue people instead! We will petiotion the governor for urgent dismissal of the prosecutor, citing negligence.

UPDATE 03 Feb 2013: Kaengkrachan district chief is the first one to be moved to inactive post after he was found covering up the case protecting the interest of the police officer accused of poaching. We expect the provincial prosecutor to be next. NEWS STORY THE NATION

Thai rhino horn trader jailed

Chumlong poses with a killed Rhino in South Africa

A Thai national, Chumlong (or Chamlong) Lemtongthai, who pled guilty to organising bogus trophy hunts to sell rhino horns on the international black market was sentenced to 40 years in a South African jail on Friday. Chumlong Lemtongthai received the unusually harsh sentence from a Johannesburg magistrate court amid a record number of rhino poaching deaths this year, government prosecutors said. The man used Thai prostitutes to obtain “hunting licenses” and ship this horn legally to Thailand to end up as CHinese Traditional Medicines.

Chumlong Lemtongthai in court after his arrest

Lemtongthai pleaded guilty to paying prostitutes who posed as hunters in order to harvest the horns, which were then sold on Asia’s lucrative traditional medicine market.
The group is thought to have netted around 26 rhino horns.

Some of the “legal” trade in horn to Thailand / details by WFFT Thailand

In handing down the sentence, the judge said he did not want his grandchildren to grow up without being able to see rhinos, according to EyeWitness News.
South African officials say 528 rhinos have been killed already this year, shattering previous records.

All the accused on their first hearing day in court

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Louw welcomed the ruling. “It will send a strong message that as South Africans, we will do everything in our power to preserve our heritage,” she told AFP.
Video of the campaign in front of court

“We believe it’s an appropriate sentence that will be able to send a message that as a country we will never tolerate people who come in our country, unlawfully so, with the purpose of destroying our wildlife.” Lemtongthai can now appeal his sentence. Environment minister Edna Molewa had called for Lemtongthai to receive a “stricter sentence” than usual with the seeking a 260-year sentence.