Three lorises rescued by NRECD

9 July 2012
Primates

WFFT complaint leads to arrests and confiscations

Law enforcement officers of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) last night arrested two men for illegal possession of three lorises, which they were using as props to entice Phuket tourists to pay to have photographs taken with them against payment.

Alleged wildlife traffickers Nuttapol Kensing (left) and Suchai Charoenphu (right) pose with the Loris in what might be their last photo for a long time. Sub Lt Jedsada looks on.

Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

The officers, led by Sub Lt Jedsada Lugieng of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NED), moved in to make the arrest after spotting the men on Bangla Road at about 8:30pm. “We received a report about baby slow lorises being used in Patong. The operators use them to get tourists’ attention. They let them touch the animals and then have their photos taken with them. We investigated the complaint and found the two suspects, so we arrested them,” he said.

He identified the pair as: Nuttapol Kensing, 20; and Suchai Charoenphu, 30. Both men were charged at Patong Police Station with illegal possession of protected species. Seized as evidence in the case were the three lorises (two slow lorises and one pygmee loris), ranging in age from four months to seven months, as well as a Polaroid camera.

The WFFT applauds the swift action taken by the NRECD Commander Police Major General Norasak Hemnithi on our complaint and hopes the enforcement against wildlife exploitation in tourism will continue on all areas we found this in Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket.