Over 100 kg of ivory tusks and products seized in Songkhla

SONGKHLA, May 24 (TNA) - Officials seized more than 100 kg of ivory tusks and products at a house in the southern province of Songkhla. The raid at the house in Satingpra district came after the authorities discovered three parcels, containing four ivory tusks, weighing 20 kilogrammes in total and worth about one million baht at the post office in Nakhon Sawan. The parcels were sent from Ekkapol Chuduang, 33, in Songkhla. In the search at the house, police found about 130-kg pieces of ivory, 13-kg ivory powder, two elephant bones and 18.5-kg ivory products, 48 pieces of Phaung or Siamese Rosewood. The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department confirmed that the seized tusks belonged to African elephants. Ekkapol confessed to being an ivory carver and sending those parcels to customers, who placed orders through an ivory trader in Buri Ram. He also has connection with ivory traders and carvers in Nakhon Sawan, Surin and Buri Ram and they contact each other via Facebook and mobile phones. The police presumed that the ivory tusks were smuggled into the country through the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla. Further investigation is under way to arrest ivory traders in the Northeast. (TNA)