Rhino Horns Worth $600,000 Seized:
A Vietnamese man was arrested with rhino horn worth more than half a
million dollars in his luggage at Bangkok's main airport, Thai officials
said.
The six pieces of horn, weighing about 10.6 kilos and
valued at an estimated 18 million baht ($600,000) — are believed to
have been smuggled from Mozambique, wildlife protection authorities
said.
The 56-year-old suspect was detained on Sunday evening after
arriving in Thailand on a flight from Ethiopia, while waiting to board a
connecting flight to Hanoi.
"He left his suitcase on the baggage
conveyor belt and did not check it in on purpose, so it seemed like he
wanted it to be picked up by someone else," said Narongrit Sookprakarn, a
wildlife official at Suvarnabhumi airport.
The man is accused of bringing protected wild animal parts and prohibited goods into the country without permission.
If convicted he could face four years in prison and a fine of at least 40,000 baht ($1,300).
Illegal
hunting of rhinos has risen in recent years to meet surging demand for
their horns in parts of Asia, in particular Vietnam where they are
highly prized for their supposed medicinal qualities.
– AFP
