Nine caught with 250kg African ivory smuggled through Vietnam

Tusks were being made into knife handles, amulets and prayer beads

PUBLISHED : 11 May 2026 at 16:54

WRITER: Wassayos Ngamkham

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Nine people were arrested in sting operations in seven provinces for illegal possession of 250 kilogrammes of African ivory smuggled into Thailand through Vietnam.

Pol Lt Gen Nathasak Chaowanasai, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said on Monday that environment officials and police had learned that illicit ivory was being traded through a Facebook-related group, “Khiaw Nga Khrueang Rang Chak Sat” (fangs, tusks and talismans made from animal products).

Detectives bought products advertised as ivory from several traders in the group and had them tested. The tests confirmed the products were made from African ivory.

This led to coordinated raids on 11 premises in seven provinces on May 7 - Chanthaburi, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kamphaeng Phet, Samut Sakhon, Songkhla and Uthai Thani.

Nine suspects were arrested and ivory products weighing 250kg in total, and related tools such as saws and drills, were seized. The total value of the impounded goods was estimated at 9.9 million baht.

According to Pol Lt Gen Nathasak, the ivory trading group was formed a year ago and had sales totalling about 10 million baht.

The ivory had been sent by sea from Africa, first to Vietnam.

The suspects had Vietnamese workers in Thailand source the ivory for them, and it was smuggled from Vietnam to Thailand via the Mekong River. The ivory was then made into saleable goods such as knife handles, Buddha amulets and prayer beads, he said.

The nine arrested Thai suspects allegedly confessed to the crime. The investigation was being expanded, with the aim to catch the Vietnamese smugglers.

Sadudee Punpugdee, wild fauna and flora protection director at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said possesion of African ivory was banned in Thailand. The seized ivory would be stored until all associated legal cases were finalised, and would then be destroyed.

Some of seized, cut up African ivory, as shown to reporters. (Photo supplied)

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