USAID RDM/A Regional Environment Office Weekly Report Week Ending March 28, 2008

Thai Task Force Stings International Wildlife Traffickers
On March 22, 2008 Thailand's environmental police conducted their largest operation against illegal wildlife dealers of the year when 40 officers raided 10 shops suspected of selling rare and endangered species, arresting 3 dealers in Bangkok weekend Chatuchak market.  In the undercover sweep operation, officers from the Royal Thai Police Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division caught a number of dealers red-handed as they attempted to sell some of the world's most endangered species to undercover agents.  This police division leads Thailand's Task Force under ASEAN-WEN, and was trained by the USAID-sponsored ASEAN-WEN Support Program.  Based on the international connections of some dealers, the Thai police have invited law enforcement agencies from other parts of the world to join them in their investigations.  A U.S. Special Agent was invited to investigate Chatuchak dealers connections to the United States.

ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit Officially Opened
On March 24th, 2008 the Director General of the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife And Plant Conservation (DNP) joined counterparts in the Royal Thai Police and Customs to officially open the Program Coordination Unit (PCU) of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network.  Located next to the DNP at the Natural Resources and Environmental Crimes Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police, the PCU is an ASEAN Secretariat sub-unit, and will be managed by two full-time ASEAN Secretariat officers beginning in June.  In the meantime, Thai Liaison officers provide office support with assistance from the USAID-sponsored ASEAN-WEN Support Program.  A senior officer from the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as officers from the US Embassy Bangkok and the ASEAN-WEN Support Program, joined local media at the official launch.   The Director General signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ASEAN-WEN Support Program, which offered financial assistance to the PCU during its first year of operation.