The police on Thursday arrested a lady at her home in Phichit and seized a lot of Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes, a protected species.
During the search operation, the authorities seized seven sacks of Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes (Ptyas korros), weighing a complete of 34.26 kilograms and 4 sacks, containing the carcasses of Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes, weighing a complete of 5 kilograms, hidden in a freezer and two cellphones used for snake buying and selling.
Ms.Chanphen Rerngjit, aged 45, a Phichit native, who introduced herself because the house owner throughout a search operation was discovered to be the proprietor of a lot of snakes.
She admitted to buying snakes from native villagers at roughly 170 baht per kilogram and promoting them for round 200-300 baht per kilogram. She said that the carcasses have been offered at decrease costs.
Based on telephone information and monetary transactions, it was discovered that the buying and selling turnover for snakes amounted to at least 100,000 baht per transaction, with established export routes to neighboring nations.
Initial investigations revealed no permits for the possession of protected wildlife, and all of the animals inside the premises had by no means been registered. Police authorities are increasing their investigation to apprehend additional members of the snake trafficking community.
Additionally, there was a seasonal rotation of smuggling numerous wildlife species, together with monkeys, lizards, and cobras.
Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes are thought of protected wildlife since 2003 on account of their vital ecological significance. These non-venomous snakes pose no risk to people and play an important position in controlling populations of disease-carrying rodents, thus sustaining the ecological stability.
The unlawful commerce and consumption of Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes disrupt this stability, resulting in elevated reliance on chemical means to manage pest populations, posing dangers to each people and different animals.
Penalties for unlawful possession can embrace imprisonment for as much as 5 years or fines as much as 500,000 baht, or each. For merchants, penalties might embrace imprisonment for as much as 10 years, fines as much as 1,000,000 baht, or each. (TNA)
