Thai authorities arrested a Vietnamese man at Bangkok’s airport after finding more than 11 kilograms of rhino horns hidden inside wrapped meat linked to an international trafficking network
Thai authorities arrested a 36-year-old Vietnamese man for allegedly smuggling more than 11 kilograms of rhino horns concealed inside wrapped meat, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said on Tuesday. The arrest took place on Monday at Suvarnabhumi Airport after officials noticed irregularities during an X-ray scan of his checked luggage.
The man had travelled from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was en route to Laos, transiting through Ethiopia and Thailand, according to the department.
Rhino horns concealed in polystyrene icebox
Authorities seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12 kilograms of unidentified meat used to hide them inside a polystyrene icebox. The department said the detection occurred after staff acted on security screening anomalies.
Sadudee Panpakdee, director of the department’s CITES division, told AFP that the value of the horns and the exact type of meat used had yet to be determined. The items were sent to a wildlife forensic laboratory for further analysis.
If convicted, the suspect faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to one million baht ($32,000). All five rhino species are protected under international law, and trade in their horns is strictly banned.
Thailand continues to be a major transit hub for wildlife smugglers, who move high-value endangered species through the country for sale on the black market across Asia. Authorities have increased monitoring as trafficking networks grow more sophisticated.
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