Four residents of a Sea Gypsy community in Rawai were arrested yesterday for smuggling protected marine species. They are 34-year-old Pichit Bangjak and three minors. Those suspects were arrested at 11am in a pickup truck parked along Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada, near the Phuket Highways Department Office.

That raid action resulted in several founding of foam coolers at the back of the truck covered for 250 aquarium fish, 300 corals and 20 sea fans ready to transport in plastic bags and other types of packaging. It value was estimated excess 200,000 baht. The arrestment followed by a report of men in a truck would be loading protected species onto a Bangkok-bound tour bus leaving the Phuket Bus Terminal in Phuket Town at 10:50am.

The operation was led jointly by Phuket Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Center director Paitoon Panchaipum and Phuket Marine Police deputy inspector Lt Natthapong Preugtharathikul. The officers followed the P2 company bus out of the station to Rassada, where the men were waiting to flag down the vehicle and load the containers into the storage hold.

The victims confessed that they indeed transporting the items, but insisted the fishes did not belong to them. They were simply hired to transport the fish and coral to Bangkok, they said.

All four suspects were taken to Phuket City Police Station for questioning and charged with possession of protected species without permission. Police will try to expand the investigation and bring more fish and coral smugglers into the court.

Mr Paitoon said there are still 28 fishing boats operating illegally in Phuket water collecting ornamental fish and transporting them to Bangkok, where there is still high demand from the aquarium supply stores. Each vessel has a crew of seven or eight men, he said.

News by Phuket Gazette