POLICE raided the Takuapa bus station in Phang Nga on Friday and found protected coral reef fish in transit to Bangkok. (Early reports incorrectly said the raid was conducted in Rawai.) About 180 coral blooms were rescued and are being brought back to Phuket. A man who was accompanying the blooms ran off.


A BANGKOK man has been arrested and accused of being the mastermind behind a 100 million baht-a-year coral reef fish poaching ring of Rawai sea gypsies.

At 7pm on Wednesday, police were taken to a house in the sea gypsy village at Rawai where they found 150 protected fish of 18 species in aquarium tanks.

More than 100 living coral blooms were also found in the house by officers.

Police said Sutee Sirisaringkarn, 36, the man accused of organising the poaching, had between 100,000 baht and 500,000 baht moving into his bank account each week.

Police Lieutenant Chatchai Sakdee, of the Marine Police, said Khun Sutee told officers that the bulk of orders came from Chiang Mai.

The fish and the blooms would be sent to buyers by air transport, once sufficient orders had been filled.

Police are now tracing the sources of his bank-book income of 100 million in the past year.

More interviews will be conducted with Khun Sutee to determine the identities of the local poachers.


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