|
Thai customs seize 4 000 snakes
27/12/2000 12:23 - (SA)
Bangkok - Thai customs on Wednesday confiscated about 4 000 snakes, including many endangered species, that were being smuggled out of Bangkok's international airport, customs officials said.
Acting on a tip from investigators, officials at the airport's
clearing house searched 176 boxes bound for Vietnam and found
cobras and other species of snakes inside.
Many of the confiscated snakes were protected in Thailand under the country's endangered species law, which prohibits trafficking in threatened animals.
The company listed on the 176 boxes, Asian Standard Inter Trade,
said on the transport manifest that the boxes contained turtles,
which are not prohibited.
Snake organs including the gall bladder and bile are valuable in
some communities in Southeast Asia, where they are believed to
restore health and even boost sexual potency.
Customs officials on Wednesday estimated that the 4 000 snakes would have fetched the equivalent of $23 500.
Over the past year, Thai customs and police have seized more than
10 000 smuggled snakes on their way out of the country. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
|
