Chalong police were alerted yesterday morning (May 2) by villagers in the area of Klong Pak Bang, behind Rawai muncipality, that suspected poachers were suspiciously waiting in a long-tail boat.
But by the time police arrived to the scene, the culprits had vanished, having left behind a boat full of freshly poached coral branches. Police suspected the culprits had been tipped off by someone about police movements.
Also inside the boat were dive equipment, chisels and an air compressor – all were seized as evidence.
The coral was transported to Phuket’s Coastal and Marine Resources Conservation Center, where studies revealed that the coral included at least three species – Catalapsyll, Jardinei and one as of yet unidentified type.
All were classified as rare types and believed to derive from a depth of no less than 20 metres.
The seizure of coral follows another incident on Monday (April 28) in which a group of researches were mistaken by dive professionals as coral poachers.
The team, including students and scientists from the United States and Thailand, were taking samples as part of a study by the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI) to explore the possibility of coral containing cancer curing properties.
Police do not believe there is a link with that research party and Friday's seized boat-load of coral. Investigations are ongoing.