A Bangkok airport employee has been suspended after two people boarded a plane to Taiwan on Wednesday with around 30 wild animals in their luggage, some of which escaped during the flight.
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Thai media reported on the chaotic journey of Thai Vietjet Air flight VZ564 from Bangkok to Taipei when passengers noticed four-legged intruders in the cabin, including an otter.
Taiwanese authorities announced Thursday that they had seized 28 turtles, two otters, a marmot and two unidentified rodents that were found dead after the plane landed at Taoyuan Airport.
Two people suspected of animal trafficking are being investigated, they added.
On the Thai side, Suvarnabhumi Airport, the kingdom’s largest, admitted human error in checking luggage.
“After reviewing the surveillance images, we determined that the smugglers were two foreigners whose luggage passed through the X-ray scanner,” said the airport manager.
“One of the employees became suspicious and asked another person to search the luggage. But he didn’t do it (…) We have suspended this employee and are conducting an investigation,” says the press release, which was published on the night of Thursday to Friday.
Thailand is a notorious hub for the wildlife trade, typically destined for large markets such as Vietnam or China, where wild animals are used in traditional medicine.