On 9/2, Thailand's Wildlife Management Agency arrested a 36-year-old Vietnamese national at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They seized 11,75 kg of rhino horns, dismantling a transnational wildlife trafficking ring that uses Thailand as a transit point to Laos.
Komkrit Pinsai, head of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport, stated that staff detected anomalies in X-ray images of a foam box checked into the aircraft's baggage compartment.
An inter-agency team, including wildlife checkpoint personnel, customs, immigration, and environmental crime police, inspected the luggage. They identified it as belonging to the Vietnamese suspect, who had flown from Lubumbashi in Congo, transiting through Ethiopia and Thailand, with plans to fly to Vientiane, Laos, on Thai Airways flight TG574.
The seized rhino horns, totaling nearly 12 kg, were divided into 6 pieces and packaged into three bundles. Authorities also found three pieces of animal hide weighing 12 kg, used to conceal the horns, along with an iPhone 14 Pro Max believed to have been used in the offense.
Authorities stated the suspect could not produce any permits for the export, import, or transit of wildlife products. The individual faces charges under three Thai laws: the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, the Customs Act, and the Animal Epidemics Act.
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Nearly 12 kg of rhino horns seized. Photo: *Khaosod*. |
The suspect and seized items were handed over to investigators at Suvarnabhumi Airport police station for legal proceedings. All exhibits were sent to the Wildlife Forensic Science Center for examination.
This incident is not isolated. In 9/2025, authorities at Suvarnabhumi Airport also arrested a Vietnamese traveler for smuggling rhino horns valued at 6,9 million baht (approximately 200,000 USD) through Thailand en route to Laos.
This previous traveler flew from Luanda, Angola, transiting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before arriving at Bangkok's main international airport. His final destination was also Vientiane. Customs officers at Suvarnabhumi detected this passenger through advanced screening systems and intelligence data.
Rhino horns remain highly valued in some Asian markets despite international bans. Criminal networks frequently use transit routes through Southeast Asia to transport contraband from Africa to consumer markets.
Hoai Anh (According to *Khaosod*)
