17 hours ago
Three arrested for selling smuggled orangutans from Indonesia
Three suspects have been arrested for selling orangutans smuggled from Indonesia by speedboat, with expected prices up to 250,000 baht.
Thai authorities have arrested three suspects for selling orangutans smuggled from Indonesia by speedboat, with prices potentially reaching around 250,000 baht each.
Police on Thursday arrested Sama Ngo, 69, in Songkhla; Pongsakorn Saengprapai, 29, in Prachuap Khiri Khan; and Supawat Weerawongwiwat, 43, in Bangkok. Pol Col Arun Wachirasrisukanya, deputy commander of the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division, announced the arrests on Friday.
The investigation was expanded from an earlier case in which authorities seized three orangutans, three gibbons and a sambar deer from a pickup truck in Chumphon province on Jan 22, 2025.
Police also identified Winai, 63, as the driver who picked up the animals from Mr Sama in Songkhla. Mr Winai was hired for 25,000 baht to transport them to Mr Pongsakorn and Mr Supawat in Nonthaburi province, authorities said.
The three suspects admitted to their involvement in a wildlife trafficking network, claiming to have carried out the operation three to four times. They said that a group of investors had been smuggling orangutans from Indonesia via speedboat, which arrived in Thailand's La-ngu district of Satun province.
The animals were then transferred and stored at a rented facility in Hat Yai, Songkhla, managed by Mr Sama. His role was to arrange transportation to deliver the wildlife to buyers who had placed orders.
According to Mr Pongsakorn and Mr Supawat, they purchased the orangutans for 70,000 baht each and resold them for 120,000 baht. They added that the price could rise to 250,000 baht if the animals were smuggled to a third country.
Authorities were investigating to dismantle the entire network and arrest additional investors and customers involved in this illegal wildlife trade, Pol Col Arun said.
