With American Help, Thailand Arrests Orangutan Smugglers

It was a partnership for good. Thai Authorities teamed up with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue two baby orangutans and arrest one of their traffickers, promising the criminal gang involved would be brought to justice.

Acting on information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement in Bangkok, Thai Police Officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division arrested a Thai National at a gas station in Bangkok as he prepared to hand over the infant orangutans to a buyer.

One of the orangutans was estimated to be about one year old, while the other was about one month old. The Police turned them over to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for medical treatment and protective care.

Orangutans are one of mankind’s closest relatives, but the great ape native to Southeast Asia is classified as a Critically Endangered Species and is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The red-haired orangutans still roam the treetops in the forests of Malaysia and Indonesia but disappeared from the wild in Thailand many decades ago.

“This case underscores the significant role of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in combating wildlife crime globally, showcasing the strength of international cooperation,” the agency said in a press release.

FWS added that the Thai Police, the Wildlife Justice Commission in the Netherlands, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime are continuing to investigate the broader trafficking network and remain committed to prosecuting those involved.

Thailand has been working with various Civil Society Groups, as well as U.S. and International Agencies, to put a stop to wildlife trafficking. Several civil society groups, such as Freeland and TRAFFIC, have credited the Kingdom for smarter and stronger enforcement in recent years.

Thailand’s strategic location, extensive infrastructure, and freedom of movement have made it vulnerable to all types of smuggling and trafficking by Transnational Criminal Organizations. The Kingdom is committed, however, to working with partners to bust up the gangs’ operations.

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