During the first half of this year Thai authorities have seized two elephant tusks and 422 pieces of ivory, weighing 334.5 kilogrammes, in a persistent suppression of the trade.
The suppression has been stepped up as Thailand, as a country accessible by sea, has been used as a transit area for smuggling ivory in containers.
In 2016, Thai authorities seized 99 tusks and 22 pieces of ivory, weighing together 397.95 kilogrammes.
Between January-June this year, two elephant tusks and 422 pieces of ivory, weighing 334.5kg, have been seized.
The seizures have been carried out under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the hope for Thailand’s ranking under this convention to be improved in an assessment to be made late this year.
At the same time, Thai authorities have kept a close watch on the so-called “red areas” in 11 provinces where ivory products is reported to have been processed.
A campaign has also been launched against trade in ivory products.
On the suppression against crimes on natural resources and environment from October 2016 to May 2017, the authorities arrested 866 suspects in 1,626 illegal forest destruction cases and seized various kinds of protected wood worth about 58 million baht.
On encroachment of forests and state land, the authorities arrested 711 suspects in 1,866 cases for encroaching on 33.5 million rai of land worth about 2.56 billion baht.
In violation of the law on wildlife and plants, the authorities arrested 385 suspects in 455 cases and seized some poached items worth 169 million baht.
In violation of the law on natural resources and environment, 122 suspects were arrested in 111 cases. A number of materials worth about 46 million baht used in the law violation such as sand sucking boats, backhoes and six-wheel trucks were seized.
(Source:-ThaiPBS)