Officials from the Thailand Wildlife Enforcement Network (Thailand WEN) arrested a Sri Lankan man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok for wildlife trafficking after discovering three snakes hidden in his underwear.
Phonlawee Buchakiat, Director of the Wildlife Crime Intelligence Centre, reported the successful operation on the official Facebook page of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation yesterday, July 3.
Phonlawee revealed that his team received a tip-off that a Sri Lankan man with a history of animal trafficking, identified as Shehan, would be arriving in Bangkok via Suvarnabhumi Airport at 12.06am on July 1. Thai officials were alerted and instructed to monitor Shehan’s actions closely to prevent further offences.
Shehan had previously smuggled various animals and was arrested in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2024. In that case, immigration officials seized a range of wildlife including wolves, meerkats, black cockatiels, sugar gliders, porcupines, ball pythons, iguanas, frogs, salamanders, and turtles.
Shehan spent only a short time in Bangkok and had booked a return flight for July 2. He departed his accommodation for Suvarnabhumi Airport at 7pm that day and checked in with Thai Airways.
Airport officers scanned him with an X-ray device and searched his luggage, but found no illegal items. They then extended the search to his person and eventually discovered three snakes concealed in his underwear.
According to images shared on Facebook, the three pet snakes had been placed in a netted bag before being hidden.
The snakes were identified as ball pythons, a species listed under Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The import and export of such animals require official permits.
Shehan faces two charges for his illegal actions:
- Section 23 of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act: Exporting wildlife without permission, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 1 million baht, or both.
- Section 242 of the Customs Act: Importing goods without a customs permit, punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
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