5 Thais 1 Vietnamese arrested for wildlife smuggling

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Nong Khai – Nong Khai wildlife officials have arrested Thai and Vietnamese citizens for trying to smuggle wild animals into Laos.

The officials found 14 African turtles, 10 dogs, 6 rabbits, plus 75 green and 4 grey iguanas inside a van. The vehicle was found parked inside Hai Sok Temple near a port where the smuggled items were being shipped to Laos over the Mekhong River.

Five Thais and one Vietnamese man, identified by the authorities as Nguyen Hui Than, were arrested for wildlife smuggling.

Manop Saetang, the van driver, said he had been hired to bring the animals from Mo Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok to Nong Khai province. These animals were on their way to Vietnam. The perpetrators will face legal charges for violating CITES regulations and the Rabies Act, B.E. 2535.