Bangkok Luxury Stores Raided for Wildlife Trafficking

[Guest guest]

WildAid

 

Bangkok Luxury Stores Raided for Wildlife Trafficking

7/18/2006

Undercover Sting Operation Based on Tip from ASEAN-WEN

 

Thai authorities are pursuing a wildlife-related investigation following

yesterday’s simultaneous raids on three downtown Bangkok locations suspected

of trafficking in products made from the highly endangered Tibetan Antelope.

Police detained four dealers for questioning and confiscated over 250

purported “shahtoosh” shawls, which can cost between $1,200-$12,000 apiece.

 

Monday’s enforcement action was the culmination of four months of

coordinated undercover work by the Natural Resources and Environmental

Crimes Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police and the Department of

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. After receiving a tip-off

from within the new ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), Thai

officials uncovered a syndicate dealing in shahtoosh, spanning at least

three countries and involving multiple parties.

 

The shops targeted in the raid are located in high-end commercial areas of

Bangkok, catering to wealthy tourists buyers from Europe and Japan –

underscoring the market for the illegal, costly wool.

 

Thai authorities await the results of tests to determine the authenticity of

the confiscated shawls, and investigations continue into other shahtoosh

traffickers who were implicated during police interrogations of the four

detained dealers. Even dealers pretending to be selling shahtoosh can be

charged with fraud.

 

This operation was the first ever seizure of suspected shahtoosh by Thai

authorities, who have recently intensified their efforts against the illegal

wildlife trade. The cross-border, inter-agency investigation also reflects a

bold shift in strategy in battling syndicates decimating Asia's wild animals

and plants. To confront these highly organized criminals, Thailand and its

South-east Asian neighbors last December forged ASEAN-WEN – the world's

newest and most extensive wildlife law enforcement network.

 

ASEAN-WEN is designed to protect Asia’s wildlife by facilitating the

exchange of vital intelligence among police, customs, and environmental

agencies about wildlife criminals operating within the ASEAN region. Due to

the global dimensions of the trade, some non-ASEAN countries are joining up

with ASEAN-WEN. The United States Government, for example, has provided

financial and training support to the new network.

 

“International and inter-agency cooperation were the key in today’s

successful sting operation,” commented James Compton, Regional Director of

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. “It is testimony to the value of the new ASEAN-WEN,

and the Thai authorities should be congratulated for their comprehensive

action.”

 

Unlike other wools that can be harvested by shearing or combing, shahtoosh

can only be obtained by killing Tibetan Antelopes (Pantholops hodgsonii, or

commonly known as the Chiru), which live almost exclusively in the remote

Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A single shawl requires wool from three to five

dead antelopes.

 

Since 1979, the antelope has been listed in Appendix I of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),

prohibiting all trade in shahtoosh. IUCN - The World Conservation Union

classifies the Tibetan Antelope as Vulnerable to extinction in its Red List

of Threatened Species.

 

Despite being illegal, shahtoosh, which means “the king of wools” in

Persian, is still highly sought-after because of its exceptionally fine

quality. Shahtoosh shawls can command prices of up to $12,000 on the black

market. Driven by this fashion craze, poaching has drastically slashed the

Tibetan Antelope population. In 1900, around 1 million antelopes lived in

the wild; today, there may be as few as 50,000.

 

Although most details of the international investigation could not be

revealed by authorities, Thai officials close to the sting operations report

that the tip off came from within the ASEAN-WEN and involved information

sharing among a number of agencies.

 

“This level of cooperation on wildlife law enforcement is a new phenomenon

in South-east Asia,” said Steven Galster, Director of Field Operations for

WildAid-Thailand. “Wildlife traffickers should take note that ASEAN-WEN is

now watching them.”

 

Notes:

In the past, hunters only killed male antelopes. Modern, organized gangs of

poachers have been known to kill whole herds of Tibetan Antelope, including

pregnant does.

 

The trade route for shahtoosh starts in Tibetan Plateau. The wool is

smuggled into Kashmir, where shahtoosh weaving has a long history. The

finished shawls are then sold illicitly in some major cities in the United

States, Europe, and Asia.

 

The black market for shahtoosh highlights the difficulties in tackling the

illegal wildlife trade. Despite conservation campaigns, strict laws and

high-profile criminal cases, demand for the super-fine wool, and thus,

poaching persists. Last year, Swiss officials confiscated 537 shahtoosh

shawls, signaling the death of between 1,600 and 2,700 Tibetan Antelopes.

Also, shahtoosh traffickers appear to be changing their smuggling routes as

enforcement improves in some areas.

 

There are well-known substitutes for shahtoosh, including pashmina, which is

made from the standard shearing of domestic goats in the Himalayas.

 

http://www.wildaid.org/index.asp?CID=8 & PID=66 & SUBID= & TERID=261

................................................

TRAFFIC

 

http://www.traffic.org/25/network9/ASEAN/index.html

................................................

ASEAN-WEN

 

Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (WEN).

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

 

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

 

http://www.cites.org/eng/news/sundry/2005/ASEAN-WEN.shtml

===============================================

More about Tibetan antelopes:

 

Saving the Tibetan antelope

 

http://www.china.org.cn/english/zhuanti/zly/148300.htm

................................................

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

A film by Lu Chuan

 

The movie

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/

 

The story

 

In the 1990s local Tibetans formed a volunteer patrol to try to stop the

illegal poaching of Tibetan antelopes—sometimes at the cost of their own

lives.

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/story.html

 

About the production

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/prod_diary.html

[Guest guest]

Hi Cate,

 

When you read this you almost believe the Thai authorities are actually

really doing something to stop the illegal wildlife trade.

 

Please don't be fooled however, the traders will not go to jail, they will

not get a fine and they might even get their goods back. There is no law

that forbids the keeping of foreign wild animals or parts of wild animals,

they can only get in trouble when they are caught red-handed smuggling the

goods into the country. In this case they were not.

 

Please remember the (78) Safariworld orangutans, that owner did not even go

to court or even got fined. Neither did Lopburi zoo for 5 more orangutans.

 

Edwin Wiek

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

www.wfft.org

 

 

 

[aapn ] On Behalf Of Cate

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 12:12 PM

aapn

Bangkok Luxury Stores Raided for Wildlife Trafficking

 

WildAid

 

Bangkok Luxury Stores Raided for Wildlife Trafficking

7/18/2006

Undercover Sting Operation Based on Tip from ASEAN-WEN

 

Thai authorities are pursuing a wildlife-related investigation following

yesterday's simultaneous raids on three downtown Bangkok locations suspected

 

of trafficking in products made from the highly endangered Tibetan Antelope.

 

Police detained four dealers for questioning and confiscated over 250

purported " shahtoosh " shawls, which can cost between $1,200-$12,000 apiece.

 

Monday's enforcement action was the culmination of four months of

coordinated undercover work by the Natural Resources and Environmental

Crimes Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police and the Department of

National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. After receiving a tip-off

from within the new ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), Thai

officials uncovered a syndicate dealing in shahtoosh, spanning at least

three countries and involving multiple parties.

 

The shops targeted in the raid are located in high-end commercial areas of

Bangkok, catering to wealthy tourists buyers from Europe and Japan -

underscoring the market for the illegal, costly wool.

 

Thai authorities await the results of tests to determine the authenticity of

 

the confiscated shawls, and investigations continue into other shahtoosh

traffickers who were implicated during police interrogations of the four

detained dealers. Even dealers pretending to be selling shahtoosh can be

charged with fraud.

 

This operation was the first ever seizure of suspected shahtoosh by Thai

authorities, who have recently intensified their efforts against the illegal

 

wildlife trade. The cross-border, inter-agency investigation also reflects a

 

bold shift in strategy in battling syndicates decimating Asia's wild animals

 

and plants. To confront these highly organized criminals, Thailand and its

South-east Asian neighbors last December forged ASEAN-WEN - the world's

newest and most extensive wildlife law enforcement network.

 

ASEAN-WEN is designed to protect Asia's wildlife by facilitating the

exchange of vital intelligence among police, customs, and environmental

agencies about wildlife criminals operating within the ASEAN region. Due to

the global dimensions of the trade, some non-ASEAN countries are joining up

with ASEAN-WEN. The United States Government, for example, has provided

financial and training support to the new network.

 

" International and inter-agency cooperation were the key in today's

successful sting operation, " commented James Compton, Regional Director of

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. " It is testimony to the value of the new ASEAN-WEN,

and the Thai authorities should be congratulated for their comprehensive

action. "

 

Unlike other wools that can be harvested by shearing or combing, shahtoosh

can only be obtained by killing Tibetan Antelopes (Pantholops hodgsonii, or

commonly known as the Chiru), which live almost exclusively in the remote

Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A single shawl requires wool from three to five

dead antelopes.

 

Since 1979, the antelope has been listed in Appendix I of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),

prohibiting all trade in shahtoosh. IUCN - The World Conservation Union

classifies the Tibetan Antelope as Vulnerable to extinction in its Red List

of Threatened Species.

 

Despite being illegal, shahtoosh, which means " the king of wools " in

Persian, is still highly sought-after because of its exceptionally fine

quality. Shahtoosh shawls can command prices of up to $12,000 on the black

market. Driven by this fashion craze, poaching has drastically slashed the

Tibetan Antelope population. In 1900, around 1 million antelopes lived in

the wild; today, there may be as few as 50,000.

 

Although most details of the international investigation could not be

revealed by authorities, Thai officials close to the sting operations report

 

that the tip off came from within the ASEAN-WEN and involved information

sharing among a number of agencies.

 

" This level of cooperation on wildlife law enforcement is a new phenomenon

in South-east Asia, " said Steven Galster, Director of Field Operations for

WildAid-Thailand. " Wildlife traffickers should take note that ASEAN-WEN is

now watching them. "

 

Notes:

In the past, hunters only killed male antelopes. Modern, organized gangs of

poachers have been known to kill whole herds of Tibetan Antelope, including

pregnant does.

 

The trade route for shahtoosh starts in Tibetan Plateau. The wool is

smuggled into Kashmir, where shahtoosh weaving has a long history. The

finished shawls are then sold illicitly in some major cities in the United

States, Europe, and Asia.

 

The black market for shahtoosh highlights the difficulties in tackling the

illegal wildlife trade. Despite conservation campaigns, strict laws and

high-profile criminal cases, demand for the super-fine wool, and thus,

poaching persists. Last year, Swiss officials confiscated 537 shahtoosh

shawls, signaling the death of between 1,600 and 2,700 Tibetan Antelopes.

Also, shahtoosh traffickers appear to be changing their smuggling routes as

enforcement improves in some areas.

 

There are well-known substitutes for shahtoosh, including pashmina, which is

 

made from the standard shearing of domestic goats in the Himalayas.

 

http://www.wildaid.org/index.asp?CID=8 & PID=66 & SUBID= & TERID=261

................................................

TRAFFIC

 

http://www.traffic.org/25/network9/ASEAN/index.html

................................................

ASEAN-WEN

 

Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (WEN).

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

 

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

 

http://www.cites.org/eng/news/sundry/2005/ASEAN-WEN.shtml

===============================================

More about Tibetan antelopes:

 

Saving the Tibetan antelope

 

http://www.china.org.cn/english/zhuanti/zly/148300.htm

................................................

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

A film by Lu Chuan

 

The movie

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/

 

The story

 

In the 1990s local Tibetans formed a volunteer patrol to try to stop the

illegal poaching of Tibetan antelopes-sometimes at the cost of their own

lives.

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/story.html

 

About the production

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/prod_diary.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Asian animal issues, please use the search feature

on the AAPN website: http://www.aapn.org/ or search the list archives at:

aapn

Please feel free to send any relevant news or comments to the list at

aapn

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Lim Gaik Kee,

 

 

 

I agree that the problem is mostly corruption, but to put Malaysia in a

better light than other countries seems a bit awkward to me. Every week huge

shipments of pangolins are going through Thailand, turtles, exotic birds and

tigers (parts) heading for Laos, Vietnam and most of all China. Most of

these shipments do however originate from Indonesia and come through Kuala

Lumpur airport and by car through Malaysia. There must be corruption

involved there as well otherwise they would not pass the airport security

and/or customs in such large quantities and so often. I do agree that harsh

punishment is the right way to go, if someone makes profits of up to US$

13,000,- a month (average illegal wildlife trader/middleman in Thailand) he

wouldn't stop this after receiving a maximum fine of US$ 1,000.- and a slap

on the wrist.

 

 

 

I am afraid the other problem besides corruption is ignorance. The trade in

endangered species is just not on the list of priorities of most

governments, although they make us believe otherwise. Just a raid here and

there, every now and then is not the answer or solution. It is just the top

of the ice-berg.

 

 

 

It would be great if NGO's all over Asia could come together and exchange

data and ideas on this problem, maybe the Asia for Animals conference in

India in 6 months will be the right place for that to get things started? It

would be good to discuss matters as corruption, culture, economics,

politics and " progress " that are all part of this problem.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

 

Edwin Wiek

 

WFFT / BOSF

 

 

 

 

 

_____

 

yitzeling [yitzeling]

Friday, July 21, 2006 11:18 AM

edwin.wiek

Re: Bangkok Luxury Stores Raided for Wildlife Trafficking

 

 

 

Hello Edwin,

 

 

 

Re: luxury stores raided.

 

 

 

This is indeed sad in a country full of corrupted officials. Just don't

know how we can really help these poor animals. Despite protest letters and

notes no action has been taken against the culprits involved in the

smuggling of the orangutans as well as Safari World for exploiting them.

 

 

 

In one of our letters to editor relating to the smuggling of pangolins, I

had actually came up with a recommendation for a death sentence for

traffickers of wildlife in Malaysia. On the whole Malaysian wildlife

authorities are better in terms of enforcement and they will prosecute

offenders of wildlife once caught.

 

 

 

For other Asean countries, I feel as if we are fighting a losing battle.

 

 

 

Lim Gaik Kee

 

Friends of the Earth Malaysia