SONGKHLA, March 1 (TNA) – A Malaysian policeman was
detained on Thursday while allegedly trying to smuggle 32 pangolins into
Thailand. 
Thai customs officers at Sadao border crossing in the
southern Songkhla province seized the protected animals weighing 228 kilograms
from Ahmad Nusrul Hafifi Bin Mohammad.
The man has been identified as the first policeman
attempting to smuggle live pangolins into the Kingdom.
Carrying a total value of Bt1 million baht, the pangolins
were hidden in a compartment on the suspect’s car. He told Thai authorities that he was hired to
transport the pangolins from Alor Setar of the state of Kedah to a location in
Sadao, Songkhla province.
The policeman under the guise of tourist also said the haul
was destined for China, where it would fetch at two times higher.
The Thai officials said these gentle creatures would be
quarantined before being released into the wild.(TNA)
