(20 Apr 2015) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY
SHOTLIST
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Bangkok - 20 April 2015
1. Seized ivory laid out on the ground
2. Various of seized ivory
3. Customs official taking hidden ivory tusk out of bigger ivory tusk
4. Sacks of beans used to hide ivory tusks
5. Ivory tusk visible in sack of beans
6. Ivory tusk on ground with scattered beans
7. Customs officials weighing ivory
8. Customs Department Director-General Somchai Sujjapongse presenting seized ivory tusk to media
9. Close of seized ivory tusks in hands of customs officials
10. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Somchai Sujjapongse, Customs Department Director-General:
"The ivory seized this time is the biggest in history. We will take photos and collect information on it (the ivory). (We) have contacted the Department of National Parks to collect this seized ivory, together with another seven tons of ivory that is already in our possession, so the relevant agencies can proceed according to the law."
11. Various of seized of ivory on ground
12. Various of customs officials putting ivory back in sacks
STORYLINE
Thailand has seized four tons of ivory hidden in bean sacks tracked from Congo in what authorities say was the biggest bust in the country's history, customs officials said on Monday.
The 739 elephant tusks, bound for Laos, were seized upon arrival at a port in Bangkok on Saturday after the authorities received a tip-off and had tracked the containers from Congo, the Customs Department's Director-General Somchai Sujjapongse told reporters.
He said that the shipment, labelled as beans, was shipped out of Congo in February and went through Malaysia before reaching the Bangkok port.
Thailand is one of the top destinations for African ivory smuggling in Asia and could face international sanctions soon if it doesn't show progress in combating the problem.
Somchai said authorities believe that if the ivory, worth 6 million US dollars, had reached Laos, it would then have been distributed to buyers in China, Vietnam and Thailand.
Poachers have killed tens of thousands of African elephants for their tusks in recent years to meet demand for ivory in Asia.
China has imposed a one-year ban on ivory imports amid criticism that its citizens' huge appetite for ivory threatens the existence of Africa's elephants.
===========================================================
Clients are reminded:
(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com
(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service
(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
