Partnerships work best when it comes to fighting crime. With investigative help from the United States, police in southern Thailand arrested a man transporting three smuggled baby orangutans, a critically endangered species, and signaled more arrests would follow.

“The police worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to mount an investigation, which led to the seizure of the orangutans,” the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.

Thailand’s strategic location, long borders and transport infrastructure, and freedom of movement have made the Kingdom vulnerable to smugglers and traffickers, including wildlife traffickers.

During the past decade, however, Thailand has taken actions to crack down on wildlife trafficking. The government is working with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and law enforcement has partnered with civil society groups to increase training, adopt new technologies and sharpen the skills of customs officials, police, rangers and others involved in battling the trade.

Aside from the young orangutans, when Thai police flagged down the truck on a road in southern Chumphon province they also found three gibbons. They arrested the driver and a passenger and took them to headquarters of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Bangkok for questioning.

Under questioning, the suspect told investigators their destination in Bangkok and a raid was quickly organized.

According to The Nation newspaper, police and wildlife officials raided a house in a suburb north of Bangkok, where they found two red pandas, seven cotton-top tamarin monkeys, a mongoose, and a red-whiskered bulbul. Two additional suspects were arrested at the house and all four were charged with smuggling a total of 17 wild animals.

Police said they were investigating whether those arrested may have links to larger trafficking syndicates.

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