Customs officials in Thailand have seized more than 800 pieces of rare and protected corals and sea anemones smuggled from Indonesia, worth about 2 million Thai Baht (US$60,000), a senior official of the Customs Department announced this week.
Customs Department deputy director-general Kornsiri Pinnarut told a news conference that it confiscated 858 corals, sea anemones, giant clams, cowries and sea fans - a haul weighing in at around 300kg.
According to the customs official, Mr Siriporn Umphu imported the items from Indonesia on March 1, giving false information that they were ornamental fish. It is thought the corals were destined to be sold at Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok.
Living coral is popular for use in aquariums around the world and can be grown in captivity, but the illegal trade of live coral from tropical reefs remains a significant problem. Removing living coral from a reef is a hugely destructive process, usually involving blasting a reef with dynamite. For every piece of coral removed, an entire area of reef often needs to be decimated, multiplying the damage done to the reef many times.
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