Illegal shark fin shipment from Caribbean intercepted in Bangkok

The Thai Customs Department has seized hundreds of shark fins from the bonded cargo area of Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The fins were being smuggled from Caribbean countries.

The 402 shark fins, worth about Bt2 million, were labelled as “dried fish” and the shipment originated from Trinidad and Tobago, transiting through China before arriving in Bangkok.

The raid followed a tip-off from the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of China Customs, warning of a suspicious shipment, which was potentially violating the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The smuggling of shark fins is also a violation of Thailand’s Customs Act, which prohibits the importation of the remains of protected animals without permit.