Authorities make startling discovery during vehicle search — here's what they found

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped stop a smuggler in Thailand who was trying to bring 63 endangered macaques into Cambodia this November, the Bangkok Post reported.

What's happening?

The suspect, identified as Mr. Than, was caught driving from Cambodia to Thailand in a black Honda sedan in late November.

He had 63 crab-eating macaques, 32 males and 32 females, crammed into 10 boxes in the small vehicle. He said they came from a northern Thai province and were to be smuggled into Cambodia.

Why is this smuggling incident important?

At its most basic, wildlife smuggling is cruel to the animals involved. As in this case, they are often packed into tight spaces and may become injured, sick, dehydrated, or undernourished in the process. They are certainly frightened and stressed by the experience. Some of the animals die.

Meanwhile, this is also damaging to the species and the wider environment. Removing endangered animals from their native habitats makes it that much harder for a threatened population to bounce back from the edge of extinction, and when one species is in trouble, all the other species that rely on it are also hurt. This includes humans, who need wild spaces for food, recreation, and different types of economically important activities.

It isn't just the ecosystem of origin that is at risk, either. Animals that escape or are released during or after smuggling can become invasive in the new location.

Not only that, but wildlife smuggling doesn't stand on its own. The criminal organizations that are involved in this activity tend to commit other crimes like drug and human trafficking, which is one reason that the U.S. government sometimes gets involved in prevention outside America.

What's being done about this smuggling incident?

Wildlife smuggling is an ongoing problem all over the world, but international cooperation is helping officials crack down on the issue.

Mr. Than was stopped during a sting on Road No. 33 in the Kabin Buri district of Prachin Buri. Officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division apprehended him, the result of a joint effort between the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Than was charged with illegal possession of protected wildlife, as well as staying longer than allowed in Thailand.

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