Thai police arrested two men on Thursday after seizing 51 pieces of ivory in northeast Thailand. The ivory weighed about 135 kg, was valued at 5.8 million baht, or US$177,000, the largest ivory bust in recent years.
Police arrested a Malaysian citizen, Boon Ching Teo, and a Thai citizen, Sirichai Sridanont, who were both behind a transnational ivory trade network. According to his travel documents, Teo made frequent trips from Thailand to Kenya and other African countries.
The United Nations reports that about 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers, and an estimated 35,000 elephants are slaughtered each year. Central Africa alone has lost 64 percent of its elephant population in the last decade.
China, the biggest market for ivory, recently imposed a one year ban on ivory imports amidst criticism that its citizens’ “thirst” for ivory is fueling the slaughter. In recent years Beijing has started campaigning against illegal ivory, with courts prosecuting more smugglers and the government issuing more public awareness campaigns.
Thailand remains one of the top destinations in Asia for ivory smuggling though, and the country may face international sanctions if it’s unable to combat the issue.
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