Authorities discover more than $200,000 worth of shocking cargo in airline traveler's luggage — here's what they found

Thai customs officials arrested a Vietnamese passenger en route to Laos after discovering five concealed rhino horns in his luggage.

What's happening?

On September 6, customs officials at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, stopped and searched the luggage of a passenger arriving from Luanda, Angola.

The airport's advanced passenger screening and verification system had flagged the passenger because his profile matched a suspect previously flagged by the system, according to The Thaiger. 

Upon the stop and search, customs officials found five rhino horns — concealed in log stumps — that weighed a total of 6.9 kilograms, or about 15 pounds, and were valued at approximately 6.9 million Thai baht, or $214,086. 

This arrest comes amid increased efforts to stop illegal wildlife and plant trafficking, which could disrupt ecosystems and cause financial losses from crop damage. 

Recently, two suspects were arrested in Kenya for trafficking rhino horns valued at about $15,444. In Australia, a Chinese national was caught trafficking over two dozen native Australian reptiles to Hong Kong in shipments of socks and shoes. 

Why is wildlife trafficking important?

Rhino horns are believed to have medicinal benefits, according to traditional Chinese medicine. 

Made of keratin, the same kind of protein that makes up human hair, rhino horns were used to treat conditions ranging from headaches, vomiting, food poisoning, gout, snakebites, and hallucinations, according to Save the Rhinos. 

However, a scientific study revealed that rhino horns actually contain such low concentrations of minerals that it would be "implausible" that the horns provide any real medicinal benefits, per the Rhino Recovery Fund.

Despite the science, rhinos are still being illegally hunted, and their horns have now become a symbol of wealth or prestige. 

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The black market trade of rhino horns has significantly reduced global rhino populations, leading most rhino species to become critically endangered. 

Global rhino populations at the beginning of the 20th century sat at 500,000 across Africa and Asia, per the World Wildlife Fund. This figure dropped to 70,000 by 1970 and stands at around 27,000 today. The northern white rhino is functionally extinct, as only two remain in the entire world, and both are female. 

What's being done about wildlife trafficking?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty, ensures that wildlife and plants that cross international borders are well documented with express permission from authorities. This prevents invasive species from disrupting the balance of local ecosystems.

Airport customs departments globally are also stepping up to more accurately identify potential trafficking suspects, which has led to increased wildlife trafficking busts.

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