Officials manning a checkpoint in Rattana Wapi district of Nong Khai province seized the carcasses of about 80 wildlife, including five mouse deer and one giant squirrel in six bags on Sunday (Mar 3).
It was reported that a group of Laotian traders carried six bags of supposedly wild mushrooms into a market in Ban Baengchan, Tambon Ponepaeng, Rattana Wapi district for sale to Thai traders.
However, the officials manning a checkpoint to watch out for wildlife or carcasses of wildlife smuggled from Laos asked for a search of the six bags. Instead of wild mushrooms, they found the carcass of six mouse deer, one giant squirrel and of many other wildlife species.
It was reported that Nong Khai provincial governor, Mr Ronnachai Chitwiset, had ordered officials manning border checkpoints with Laos to step up the screening of goods brought by Laotian merchants into the border markets to prevent the smuggling of wildlife or wildlife carcasses in the guise of ordinary goods.
Two weeks ago, officials at the same checkpoint seized skins of several wildlife species, including a fishing cat, at the market in Ban Baengchan.
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