Ivory items, carcasses seized (Thailand)

Author(s)

THE SUNDAY NATION

Date Published
Police and related agencies yesterday found illegal ivory items and wildlife |carcasses at a four-storey apartment in Tambon Talad Kwan at Nonthaburi’s Muang district.
 
The search followed public complaints that the building was being used to store ivory and wildlife items.
 
The 100-strong team met the apartment’s owner Prasert Sriyanyong, 64, who accepted the search warrant and led officials to inspect the property. 
 
The team found 119 tusks and a large number of wildlife carcasses, while the apartment’s parking lot contained dozens of teak planks. 
 
Prasert gave police what he said were the ownership documents for the items and said he would fully cooperate with the authorities.
 
Prasert insisted that he had inherited the items from his grandfather, who used to work for the Royal Forestry Department.
 
He claimed to have bought the teak planks in Myanmar two years ago.