PHUKET: Marine Police and Phuket biologists believe they've snapped a Phuket coral jewelry smuggling ring with the arrest of a man yesterday carrying 111 black reef bracelets and necklets valued at up to 700,000 baht.
Sarayut Maneerat, 39, was nabbed at Phuket bus station with the gorgeous black ornaments about to be taken to Bangkok for sale at between 500 baht and 700 baht each.
Added to the seizure of a longtail boat off southern Phuket on Friday containing 621 rare pieces of reef stolen by poachers, the Marine Police and biologists from the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) believe they have cut to the heart of a secret trade in Phuket coral.
''A call from a person who wasn't happy with what was happening started it all,'' said a spokesperson from the biological centre.
Khun Sarayut confessed to being a ''coral mule'' who carried the precious items to Bangkok where they would normally fetch between 500 and 700 baht each.
More arrests are expected with the Phuket ''factory'' where the black coral is fashioned into jewelry next on the hit list for enforcers.
Sarayut Maneerat, 39, was nabbed at Phuket bus station with the gorgeous black ornaments about to be taken to Bangkok for sale at between 500 baht and 700 baht each.
Added to the seizure of a longtail boat off southern Phuket on Friday containing 621 rare pieces of reef stolen by poachers, the Marine Police and biologists from the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) believe they have cut to the heart of a secret trade in Phuket coral.
''A call from a person who wasn't happy with what was happening started it all,'' said a spokesperson from the biological centre.
Khun Sarayut confessed to being a ''coral mule'' who carried the precious items to Bangkok where they would normally fetch between 500 and 700 baht each.
More arrests are expected with the Phuket ''factory'' where the black coral is fashioned into jewelry next on the hit list for enforcers.
If we pronouns "ph" as an "f" then that's probably what the poachers do call the "raiders."
Posted by Laurie Howells on May 4, 2014 08:33