The touts were offering to take photographs of tourists draped with the gentle, cuddly animals – for a fee.
Arrested were Ponrapee Nernrat, 36; Supawadee Hoykane, 43; Suchard Thongchai, 42; Dungkaew Metula, 42; and Chorpetch Thongchai, 43.
They were caught in a sweep conducted by Pol Lt Jessada Lukiang of the Natural Resources & Environment Crime Suppression Division, along with Awat Nitikul, the chief of the Khao Phra Taew no-hunting preserve, and Pongchart Chuehom, chief of the Khao Phra Taew Development and Promotion of Wildlife Conservation.
The lorises were confiscated and will be kept at Kathu Police Station until it is decided what can be done with them.
The animals appear to be Sunda Slow Lorises, native to Malaysia and southern Thailand. With their gentleness, their fluffy fur and their eyes as huge as an anime character, their cuteness is attractive to tourists.
They seem to have taken over from gibbons as the favourite cute animals used by touts on Bangla Rd.
However, the species is listed as vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The chief threat to them is the exotic pet trade (which includes sales to touts such as those caught today).
Lorises' teeth are often pulled by the touts so that they do not damage customers. This makes it impossible to reintroduce them into the wild – if they don't die from infection first.
To report wildlife crimes, contact the Natural Resource and Environment Crime Suppression Division. The Bangkok number is 02 561 4812 - 7 and the hotline is 1136. Awat Nitikul can be reached at 086-6897040.