PUBLISHED : 8 Sep 2025 at 11:47
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Five lengths of rhino horn discovered in the luggage of a Vietnamese smuggler at Suvarnabhumi airport on Saturday. (Photo: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation)
A Vietnamese passenger travelling from Angola was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horn through Thailand from Africa to Laos.
The accused smuggler, identified only as Thanh, was detained at the airport customs check at 7.45pm on Saturday after a scanner found suspicious items in his luggage, Sadudee Punpugdee, director of the Wild Fauna and Flora Protection Division, said on Sunday.
A search discovered five lengths of rhino horn, weighing 6.8 kilogrammes and with an estimated black-market value of 6.9 million baht. The horns were concealed inside hollowed out lengths of tree trunk.Â
The smuggler had travelled from Luanda, the capital of Angola, and changed planes at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before landing in Bangkok. His next destination was Vientiane, in Laos, Mr Sadudee said.
The Vietnamese man failed to provide valid export documents and was charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, Customs Act and Animal Epidemics Act.
Authorities cut the logs open and discovered rhino horn hidden inside them. (Photo: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation)