Overview
- Police arrested two Thai men after stopping a pickup near the Cambodia border and found 81 long‑tailed macaques packed in mesh bags alongside methamphetamine.
- Earlier the same day, rangers uncovered 62 long‑tailed macaques hidden in plastic baskets in a sugarcane field in Khlong Hat, bringing the total rescued to 143.
- Authorities said the monkeys were in a weakened condition and were transferred to a local wildlife rescue centre for care.
- The detained suspects told police they were hired to transport the animals into Cambodia and now face wildlife trafficking and drug‑related charges.
- Wildlife officials warned that routes along the Thailand–Cambodia frontier are being targeted by organized networks, with high demand for long‑tailed macaques listed as threatened by the IUCN.