Animal remains, spent shells found in park poaching case

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Nereus
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Animal remains, spent shells found in park poaching case

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Animal remains, spent shells found in park poaching case

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/ ... ching-case

KANCHANABURI: Wildlife remains have been found in the cooking area of the campsite used by suspected poachers, including a senior district official, detained as they were leaving Sai Yok National Park on Sunday.
Numerous spent bullet casings have also been found along the track travelled by the suspects' six off-road vehicles as they left the park.

The evidence appeared to contradict the suspects' claims that four severed paws from a binturong, or Asian bearcat, found in their possession had been purchased from villagers during a pilgrimage to a Buddhist monastery in the forest, assistant park chief Netnapha Ngamnet said on Tuesday.

She believed the spent ammunition had been discarded by the suspects, disposing of the evidence, before they were stopped and searched leaving the park, in Sai Yok district.

The search, carried out Monday, was led by Miss Netnapha and made by park officers, veterinarians, soldiers, police and members of the media.
In a forest area known as Pa Khao Thalu, about 1.2 kilometres from where the suspects were detained, 25 spent 9mm bullet casings and six spent .45 casings were found along the track they used to leave the park. They were tagged as evidence.

A plastic bag with blood stains was also found about seven metres from where two of the six cars were stopped for a search on Sunday.

At Tao Dam monastery, in the same forest zone, the searchers found the lower jaw of a wild animal, black fur in three nearby spots, and bones and animal innards in the cooking area of the campsite believed used by the suspects.
Cooking gear, including a chopping board, knives and pots, were also found there.

Evidence was collected and samples taken for further examination.

Twelve suspects, including Watcharachai Samirak, a deputy chief of Dan Makham Tia district in Kanchanaburi, were detained on Sunday in possession of a rifle fitted with a silencer, a pistol, ammunition and the four binturong paws, which weighed 920 grammes.

The binturong is a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Pol Col Thani Sanguanchin, chief of Sai Yok police station, said on Tuesday that initial questioning of the suspects had been completed. Some had admitted to some charges while denying others.

Police planned to take suspects to court on Tuesday afternoon to seek permission to further detain them. Police would oppose bail, he said.

Investigators would also invite Phanatchakon Phothibandit, chief of Sai Yok National Park, in for questioning, and he could formally file a complaint against the alleged poachers.

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation spokesman Sompoj Maneerat on Monday voiced his concern that “insufficient evidence" might lead to all the suspects escaping the charges.

Some of the suspects testified that they bought the Asian bearcat paws from villagers along the way, and said that they were not poachers, he said.

It was quite challenging for investigators to determine whether the guns and ammunition, and the gear found at the campsite, were used to kill animals or not, he said.

Kanchanaburi governor Jeerakiat Phumsawat said on Monday that Mr Watcharachai had been dismissed from his position in Dan Makham Tia district, and two volunteers in the district had been suspended, pending further investigation.
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Re: Animal remains, spent shells found in park poaching case

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I guess that this is another case that will just fade away. The rifle has some from of silencer on it, something criminals like to have!
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Hunting suspects granted bail

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... anted-bail

A court has granted bail to Watcharachai Samirak, deputy chief of Dan Makham Tia district in Kanchanaburi, and 10 others charged with hunting wildlife in Sai Yok National Park over the weekend.

They were taken to Kanchanaburi Provincial Court Tuesday by Sai Yok police who sought to further detain them.
However, the court later approved their bail requests with 200,000 baht each in surety.
Mr Watcharachai was dismissed as chief of Dan Makham Tia district in Kanchanaburi as a result of the charges.

Meanwhile, Sai Yok National Park officials handed over firearms, ammunition and severed binturong (bearcat) paws allegedly possessed by the suspects to police for further investigation. The binturong is a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The suspects were detained in possession of a rifle fitted with a silencer, a pistol, ammunition and the four paws, which weighed 920 grammes.

The park officials also filed a fresh charge against the suspects of firing a weapon in the national park, bringing the total number of charges against them to 10. The charges include possession of wildlife carcasses and poaching.
The weapon firing charge was added after 31 bullet casings were found on the trail the suspects took as they made their way out of the park.

Sai Yok National Park chief, Panatchakorn Phobandit, said it was likely the suspects threw the casings out of the windows of their off-road vehicles. They were found about seven metres from the track.

Officials will examine which firearms the casings came from and who pulled the triggers, he said.
Mr Panatchakorn insisted park officials never gave the group permission to enter the park as the suspects have claimed.

Meanwhile, the authorities say they have found wildlife remains in the cooking area of the campsite used by the suspected poachers, who were detained as they were leaving the park on Sunday.
The find appeared to contradict the suspects' claims that the four severed paws from a binturong found in their possession had been purchased from villagers during a pilgrimage to a Buddhist monastery in the forest, assistant park chief Netnapha Ngamnet said Tuesday.

She said she believed the spent ammunition had been discarded by the suspects to dispose of evidence, before they were stopped by the authorities in Sai Yok district.

In a forest area known as Pa Khao Thalu, about 1.2 kilometres from where the suspects were detained, more spent casings were found.

A bloodstained plastic bag was also found about seven metres from where two of the six off-road vehicles were stopped for a search on Sunday, along with bloodstains in one of the vehicles.

Pol Col Thani Sanguanchin, chief of Sai Yok police station, said initial questioning of the suspects was completed, and some admitted to certain charges.
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?Re: Animal remains, spent shells found in park poaching case

Post by handdrummer »

I read an article yesterday, in the Bangkok Times, that said the charges would probably be dismissed for "lack of evidence."
Really?
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