Thai police arrest UAE man with bear, panthers in case

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Thai police arrest UAE man with bear, panthers in case
AFP News 2011-05-13

BANGKOK, May 13, 2011 (AFP) - A man whose luggage contained a baby bear, a pair of panthers, two leopards and some monkeys was arrested as he tried to smuggle the live animals out of Thailand, police said Friday.

Noor Mahmoodr, a 36-year-old citizen of the United Arab Emirates, was detained soon after midnight by undercover officers at a Bangkok airport with the animals -- all aged under two months -- in his cases.

The man, who was trying to get the creatures onto a first-class flight to Dubai from Suvarnabhumi airport, was charged with smuggling endangered species out of Thailand, Colonel Kiattipong Khawsamang of the Nature Crime Police told AFP.

He said one of the bags had been abandoned in an airport lounge because the animals were being too noisy.

"This is a very unusual case and a very large one so we really applaud the Thai police for going after them as strongly as they did," said Roy Schlieben of wildlife protection group FREELAND, whose staff were present at the arrest.

Several people were thought to be involved and police investigations are under way into a wider network of traffickers, Schlieben said. The animals were taken into the care of local veterinarians.

"There's a pretty strong likelihood that some of them wouldn't have survived the flight in the condition they were in," he told AFP.

"The fact they were transported alive would indicate the person at the other end wanted to keep them in their residence or some sort of zoo, or maybe even breed them," he said.

If convicted, Mahmoodr could face up to four years in jail and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine, Kiattipong said.
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Trafficker smuggling live leopards nabbed at Bangkok airport
The Nation 2011-05-13

Police arrested a suspected wildlife trafficker early Friday who attempted to smuggle live endangered animals, among them leopards and panthers, out of the country in his suitcases, an wildlife protection group said.

Noor Mahmoodr, 36, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport as he prepared to fly first class to Dubai.

Police found in his luggage two leopard cubs, two panther cubs, one Asiatic black bear cub and two macaque monkeys, all of which were still alive and put in the care of Thai veterinarians.

"The trafficker was stunned," said Steven Galster, director of the FREELAND Foundation. "It was a perfect undercover operation by the Thai Police Task Force."
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[manupete]

"This is a very unusual case and a very large one"

It must have been to get a baby bear, a pair of panthers, two leopards and some monkeys in it 

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Alleged UAE animal smuggler escapes Thailand
AFP News 2011-06-01

BANGKOK, May 31, 2011 (AFP) - A man who was arrested as he attempted to smuggle a luggage-load of live endangered animals on a first class flight out of Thailand has escaped from the country, immigration police said Tuesday.

Noor Mahmood, a 36-year-old citizen of the United Arab Emirates, was detained on May 13 by undercover officers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport with the animals -- all aged under two months -- in his cases.

They included four leopard cubs, a Malayan sun bear, a baby marmoset and a baby red-cheeked gibbon, according to wildlife campaign group Freeland.

Mahmood was charged with smuggling endangered species out of the kingdom and released on a 200,000 baht ($6,600) bail, but he left Bangkok on a May 23 flight to the UAE, immigration police told AFP.

Freeland called for Thai and UAE collaboration to continue with the case.

"Thai police did a great undercover operation to nab Mr Mahmood just as he was about to board his first class flight to Dubai," said the group's director Steven Galster.

"But since he was caught red handed and charged, we want to know why he is not being prosecuted?"

If he had been convicted in Thailand, Mahmood faced up to four years in jail and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine, police earlier said.

Thailand is home to some of the world's largest wildlife trafficking operations and Freeland is campaigning for the government to pass stronger laws against them.

[urleft]

Alleged UAE animal smuggler escapes Thailand
AFP News 2011-06-01

Mahmood was charged with smuggling endangered species out of the kingdom and released on a 200,000 baht ($6,600) bail, but he left Bangkok on a May 23 flight to the UAE, immigration police told AFP.

A fine like that is not stopping anyone.    If he could afford a 1st class ticket (which probably cost more than the fine), then he can pay the fine.  And letting him go with the fine is just the cost of doing business. 

Next time he will know to pay more bribes up front.   

[manupete]

Thai customs seize 451 turtles in suitcases

BANGKOK (Reuters Life!) – Thai customs have found 451 turtles worth 1 million baht (20,000 pounds) stashed in suitcases offloaded from a passenger flight from Bangladesh, the latest seizure of live creatures at Bangkok's bustling Suvarnabhumi airport.

 Turtles of varying sizes worth around 2,000 baht apiece in Thai markets, and seven false gavials, a type of freshwater crocodile worth 10,000 baht each, were found on Thursday in small bags packed into cases after authorities received a tip off that a known trafficker was on his way to Thailand.

 The alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi national, did not collect the luggage and fled on arrival in Bangkok, customs officials said.

 The discovery was the biggest since September last year, when 1,140 turtles were found by customs on a single day. A further 218 were seized a month later.

 Thailand, which borders four countries, has seen its fair share of illegal wildlife trafficking and customs officials at Suvarnabhumi often seize reptiles and small animals in luggage.

 They found a two-month old tiger cub in a bag last August, which was concealed by stuffed tiger toys and bound for Iran.

 Prasong Poontaneat, director-general of Thailand's customs department, said it was likely the turtles were destined for Bangkok's Chatujak Market, a sprawling mass of 11,000 stalls and shops that has a dedicated pet section where endangered species are sometimes sold.

 The market, which operates on weekends only, generates as much as 1 billion baht a month from some 350,000 foreign and local shoppers, according to the State Railway of Thailand, which owns the land.

 Although Thailand has been at the forefront of a regional effort to combat wildlife trafficking, the country's multiple airports, sea ports and road network make it a major transit point for other destinations

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Lately its become a real trend!