Thailand seizes 136 smuggled live pangolins smuggled from Malaysia Published
38 min ago

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai customs have confiscated 136 live pangolins, the
world’s most poached animal, and 450 kg of pangolin scales worth 2.5 million
baht (US$75,000), officials said on Thursday (Aug 31).

Authorities managed to intercept the smuggled pangolins which entered
Thailand from Malaysia late on Wednesday after a tip-off.

Director-general of Thai Customs Department, Kulit Sombatsiri, said the
market value and demand of the animals and their body parts remained high,
which drove smuggling.

“The smugglers keep doing this because the payment is so high and there are
lots of demand for the consumption of these wild animals,” Kulit said.
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Found only in Asia and Africa, the largely solitary and nocturnal pangolin,
or “scaly anteater”, is in high demand in countries like China and Vietnam,
with…