Thai authorities have intercepted and seized more than 160 kilograms of ivory smuggled across the Mekong River from the Lao side, arresting two suspects in Bueng Kan Province.
According to local media reports from Bueng Kan Province, the seizure took place on the evening of 11 January in Ban Kou Mak Phang, Tha Dok Kham subdistrict, Bueng Khong Long district.
Military officers said they received intelligence around 7:00 pm that a group was attempting to smuggle goods across the border to evade customs controls. Security forces, including police and local administrators, were deployed to monitor the riverbank.
During the operation, officers spotted a long-tail boat crossing from the Lao side of the Mekong and docking near a pre-arranged meeting point, where around 10 people were waiting to receive the cargo. When authorities moved in to inspect the boat, it quickly fled back toward Laos, while individuals on the Thai riverbank scattered.
Officers detained two suspects, aged 21 and 18, both local residents. A subsequent search of the area uncovered nine abandoned blue plastic bags containing 55 ivory tusks weighing a combined 169 kilograms.
During questioning, the suspects told authorities they had been hired to carry the bags from the boat to shore for 200 baht (around USD 5.70) per bag, claiming they believed the contents were bamboo.
Thai officials have charged the suspects with possession of protected wildlife products without a permit, illegal import or export of animal remains without inspection, and smuggling prohibited goods. Both men have been handed over to investigators, while authorities continue efforts to identify and apprehend those behind the cross-border trafficking operation.
The case highlights ongoing concerns over wildlife trafficking along the Mekong River, a known route for illegal cross-border trade.
