Police apprehended two individuals who were intercepted while attempting to transport 81 live monkeys alongside a significant quantity of class A narcotics. The pair, believed to be connected to an international wildlife smuggling syndicate, were apprehended with a cache of macaques along with methamphetamine pills and crystal meth concealed in sealed blue bags during a recent operation near the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Images depicted the two men in custody after being stopped by the Royal Thai Police following a vehicle interception in Sa Kaeo province. Law enforcement confiscated both the drugs and monkeys, with the suspects facing charges related to wildlife protection and drug regulations.
According to a statement on Facebook from the 12th Ranger Regiment of the Royal Thai Army, they pursued a suspicious dark grey Toyota Revo along Road 3383 into a remote area near the Cambodia border. The vehicle traveled approximately 440 meters off the main road before halting near the border, where both men collaborated to unload the blue net bags containing the monkeys and drugs.
Upon arrival at the scene, an army officer conducted checks on the individuals. However, the men quickly re-entered their vehicle and fled, leaving a bag with several monkeys behind. A chase ensued, leading to the eventual apprehension of the suspects by the soldiers, who alerted wildlife checkpoint officials and police.
Initial investigations indicated that the two detainees had been hired to smuggle the monkeys to Cambodia as part of the illicit trade in endangered animals in Southeast Asia. The transportation of macaques, which can command high prices internationally, often overlaps with the activities of drug and human traffickers who utilize similar methods of conveyance.
Earlier that day, rangers in Thailand’s Khlong Hat District near the Cambodian border discovered 62 long-tailed macaques in a sugarcane field after hearing unusual animal sounds. The monkeys, comprising 44 males and 18 females, were found in a weakened condition and were subsequently transferred to a wildlife rescue center for treatment.
Somruek Suppamitkrisana, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Division, emphasized the prevalence of wildlife trafficking networks in the border region, particularly for sought-after long-tailed macaques. The incidents underscore the ongoing challenges faced in curbing illegal wildlife activities in the area.