Man Caught Selling Rare langurs on Facebook, Thai Police Take Action

Thai authorities have arrested a 31-year-old man in Narathiwat for illegally selling protected langurs on Facebook, a popular social media platform. The man, Basam Saleh, was apprehended as part of an online sting operation conducted by law enforcement officials. Saleh admitted to buying the animals locally and then attempting to sell them through a Facebook group.

This arrest marks a significant crackdown on wildlife trafficking, with Thai police taking action against Saleh for his involvement in the possession and attempted sale of protected wildlife.
The arrest took place in the Mueang Narathiwat district, where Saleh was found in possession of two young dusky langurs, a species protected under Thailand’s wildlife laws. The successful apprehension of Saleh is the result of an extensive online investigation, which tracked the illegal trade of endangered species across social media platforms.

Police operation, spearheaded by Deputy Chief of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, Arun Wachirasrisukanya, and his team, was carried out in collaboration with the Conservation Area Management Office No. 6 in Pattani.
It began with the monitoring of suspicious activities on Facebook, where Saleh had advertised the sale of two dusky langurs for 12,800 baht in a Facebook group dedicated to langur enthusiasts.

During a covert operation, undercover officers reached out to Saleh, posing as potential buyers, and arranged a meeting on the Ra-ngae-Markaz road in the Marang Tai Yor subdistrict. Upon arrival, Saleh was discovered waiting with the caged langurs in his possession.

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Without delay, the police revealed their identities and apprehended Saleh, who promptly confessed to owning the wildlife featured on his Facebook page. He admitted to purchasing the langurs from villagers who had captured them in the forest.
Saleh acknowledged that he lacked the necessary permits for both possessing and selling protected animals, as reported by KhaoSod.

Following his admission, Saleh was escorted to the Mueang Narathiwat police station to face charges for violating wildlife protection laws and engaging in the illegal trade of protected species.

In a related incident, another Thai individual was arrested in the Na Yong district of Trang on February 21 for allegedly trafficking macaques through Facebook. This further underscores the ongoing efforts of Thai authorities to combat the illegal sale of protected wildlife on social media platforms like Facebook.