PAKKADING: Lao authorities have detained 11 foreign nationals and seized more than 1.8 tonnes of suspected protected wildlife products in a raid targeting a wildlife trafficking network in Pakkading district, Bolikhamxay Province, on 16 August.
Bolikhamxay authorities confiscated approximately 1,755.6 kilograms of items resembling elephant ivory, along with two animal carcasses weighing 45.5 kilograms that reportedly resembled black panthers.
Though authorities have not yet disclosed their nationalities, investigators are now working to identify others connected to the trafficking ring.
The raid came just days after authorities transferred a rescued Asiatic black bear, a 100-kilogram female bear named “Nam Wan”, to the Free the Bears sanctuary in Luang Prabang on 13 August.
A local resident had kept the bear after receiving her from traders who bought her from Luang Namtha province, before voluntarily sending her for rehabilitation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said.
Laos authorities have intensified wildlife trafficking crackdowns.
In late June, authorities seized more than 110 kilograms of suspected illegal wildlife products in Luang Prabang, including ivory, rhino horn and pangolin items. This followed earlier operations in early June that uncovered 60 kilograms of illegal wildlife products in Luang Prabang and nearly 300 live animals trafficked across borders.
Wildlife trafficking in Laos is also linked to cross-border networks, with Thai seizures involving goods destined for Laos.
On 18 May, Lao authorities raided a Chinese-owned restaurant in Vientiane, seizing 25.52 kilograms of illegal wildlife products, including bear paws, pangolin parts and a live snake. A Chinese national was arrested as the case highlights ongoing illegal wildlife trade targeting foreign tour groups.
In May, officers seized 130.9 kg of ivory and 29 kg of animal remains en route to Laos, a case linked to the arrest of a Lao woman. In February, a Vietnamese man was caught transporting over 11 kg of rhino horn concealed in meat from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Laos via Thailand, in a case tied to an international trafficking network. - Laotian Times.
