Police in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, nabbed two men on a pickup truck who were attempting to smuggle 47 macaques into China through Laos on Monday.
After noticing the monkeys in cages at the back of the truck, the police immediately arrested Kritsana, a resident of Kanchanaburi province, and Kritaya, a resident of Nakhon Pathom province, and the truck’s owner.
According to the investigation, the macaques were from Ratchaburi province and were to be transferred to a Chinese businessman in Nong Khai before entering Laos and being shipped to China.
Kritaya, the owner of the pickup truck admitted to the police that they were unaware that the macaques are a protected species that cannot be transported without a permit.
Although the macaques survived the smuggling, some of them appeared frail, fatigued, and had difficulty breathing due to being confined in boxes for many hours.
Wildlife experts also said that the monkeys were being shipped to China to be used to make traditional Chinese medicine.
All of the macaques will now be sent to a wildlife protection center in Chaiyaphum’s Khon San district, while the two suspects have already been taken to the Non-Song police station to face charges for attempting to traffic protected animals.
