BANGKOK: Customs officials have seized a total of 2.9 tonnes of pangolin scales found in two shipments transiting Suvarnabhumi airport from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Vientiane, Laos, in December last year, department chief Kulit Sombatsiri said. Mr Kulit said customs officials on Dec 4 examined 34 packages, with a total weight of 1,700 kilogrammes, shipped on Flight TK064 from Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Vientiane, Laos, via Turkey and Thailand.
An x-ray scan revealed the packages contained 1,700kg of the fibrous keratin scales of pangolins. On Dec 23, another shipment of 24 packages containing 1,200kg of pangolin scales was found, again on Flight TK064. In total, 2.9 tonnes of pangolin scales were seized in December.