Illegal wildlife trader nabbed in Thai Northeast

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND, February 17 (TNA) - Local police and soldiers have arrested a trader of endangered birds, including scaly-breasted Munia, during a house raid in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast. The recent raid into the house in the provincial seat, following a tip-off that the several endangered wild birds were kept at the house. The combined force of police and soldiers then found 1,200 birds in the house, including several kinds of munias, white-rumped shama and red-whiskered bulbul. The owner of the house said he captured the wild birds from forests in adjacent Chiayaphum and other provinces for sale for more than 30 years without knowing that the birds are protected under the list of endangered species. Other poachers also came to his house to sell him the wild birds for 10-12 baht each, which had been resold at 20 baht each to his customers who bought the birds for release to make merits, earning him about 50,000 baht monthly. However, the police are further investigating to find the origin of the endangered birds, as it is believed that there may be a wildlife trading ring involving in the case because the house was found to keep about 3,000 birds monthly before they were resold to buyers. (TNA)