2 Thais Nabbed On Charges Of Trading African Ivory

MICHAEL CASEY

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police arrested two men on charges of smuggling African ivory into the country to supply shops in Thailand that sell jewelry and trinkets, including to customers in the United States, authorities said.

Police said the arrests late Monday were the result of Thai efforts to more strictly enforce wildlife protection laws — amid concerns Thailand has become a hot spot for a growing illicit ivory trade in Asia. The U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species banned all international ivory trade in 1989.

"Thailand has been criticized for neglecting wildlife trafficking," said Col. Seubsak Chavalviwat, deputy commander of the police's Natural Resources and Environment division. "We had to step up and get more strict on these crimes."

Undercover officers purchased ivory from Samart Chokechoyma, 36, and Kanokwan Wongsaroj, 38, and DNA tests showed that it was of African origin, he said.

"We have evidence they were selling illegal ivory on the Internet to a customer in the United States," Seubsak said, without giving details.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has been working with Thai authorities for the past two years, welcomed the arrests.