Nong Khai| The Thai authorities have announced this morning, that they had arrested two Lao men who were attempting to cross the border between the two countries with a heroin-filled work elephant.
The two men, Keoki Kham Xiengboree and Havika Kittiphan, come from a small village near the Laotian capital of Vientiane. They claim to be expert animal trainers, hired by a rich businessman to deliver the elephant, named Na Phiangleknony (“Little Prince”) to its new work site, near the Thai city of Nong Samrong. They were attempting to cross the border at the Laos-Thailand Friendship Bridge, yesterday, when they were arrested with their 2000 kg animal.
The elephant was allegedly destined to work for a Thai lumbering company in the Northern province of Udon Thani, but the animal’s bad health caught the attention of the custom officers. Upon further inspection, they noticed some fresh stitches on the animal’s belly. A veterinarian was then called on the site, and discovered a total of 312 packages made of plastic wrap, and containing one kilogram of heroin each, in the animal’s stomach.
The owner of the logging company who signed the custom papers for the elephant, was also taken to the police station to be interrogated. No criminal charges are being held against him at the moment, but investigators have confirmed that he is suspected of complicity in the failed smuggling operation.
Thailand is part of a region known as the Golden Triangle, which is one the two main opium and heroin producing regions in the world. Drug smugglers are common in the region, but this surprising catch has caught a lot of attention in the country.
The minister of Interior of Thailand, former-general Anupong Paochinda, briefly commented the case, congratulating the custom officers for their vigilance and competence.
“Our custom officers noticed right away that there was something wrong with the elephant” says Mr. Paochinda.“Upon further inspection, they discovered a large quantity of extremely pure heroin inside the animal. The two men responsible for the animal, Mr. Xiengboree and Mr. Kittiphan, will be charged with engaging in animal cruelty, as well as possessing and importing illegal drugs. They could now face the death penalty under the Narcotics Act of 1979.”
The bad health of the 9-year old animal raised the suspicion of the border agents. It seemed to be in extremely bad shape, and appeared clearly too sick and underfed to work.
The animal’s health worries veterinarians, who believe that the malnutrition and mistreatment he suffered, could be irreversible. The Thailand Elephant Sanctuary, a wildlife rescue and conservation charity operating near Bangkok, will now assume custody of the animal and attempt to save it.
“Na Phiangleknony is very sick” says Dr. Sheyla Johnson, head veterinarian of the sanctuary. “He is very weak, weighting probably 400 or 500 kilograms less than he should at his age. He also seems very nervous and scared, probably because he was a victim of violence in the past. This poor animal certainly suffered a lot in the hands of these criminals.”
According to governmental statistics, approximately 2400 elephants are used as working animals in Thailand today, almost half of them are used in the tourism sector. Most are well treated, as they are very expensive and constitute a source of revenues for their owners. A few dozen specimens are sold across the borders every year, but this is the first time that one filled with drugs is discovered in the country.