Two Indians have been arrested at Bangkok airport after more than 100 live animals were found in their luggage, Thai officials said, amid rising wildlife trafficking as pandemic travel restrictions have eased worldwide. Officials found suspicious items in the women’s luggage during an X-ray at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, according to the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Authorities investigated and found 50 lizards, 35 turtles and two pigs, among other animals. At least two of the animals are dead and many were dehydrated. Thai officials did not identify the two women. They have been accused of violating Thailand’s customs and public health laws, as well as the Wildlife Conservation Act. The latter charge can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a maximum fine of about $ 28,500, or both. The Parks Department of Thailand and the Indian Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment. The women were trying to board a flight to the southern Indian city of Chennai, authorities said. More than 70,000 animals were seized at India’s airports between 2011 and 2020, according to Traffic, a non-governmental organization. Thirty-six percent of these seizures were recorded at Chennai Airport. Wildlife trafficking is an illegal trade worth up to $ 150 billion a year worldwide, according to the United Kingdom Wildlife Conservation Group. The coronavirus pandemic has led to a sharp drop in animal trafficking worldwide, but activity is recovering as restrictions loosen, according to the Environmental Research Agency. A new “green state of the species” will measure the recovery of endangered plants and animals The Southeast Asian nation has made efforts to tackle trafficking, including tightening sanctions on wildlife traffickers in 2019. The maximum fine for violating wildlife trafficking law has been increased 25-fold, while the maximum prison sentence has been increased. 2½ times in 10 years. Thai authorities seized at least 636 animals last month at Suvarnabhumi Airport. In April, 34 turtles, including the highly endangered Burmese star turtle, were found in mail packages destined for the Philippines. In May 2021, the Thai government launched a campaign against wildlife trafficking linked to the coronavirus pandemic, which may have its roots in a pathogen originally transmitted by a wild animal, the Associated Press reported. Campaign motto: “Stop disease and extinction: Never eat, buy, hunt or sell wildlife.”
