This is the dramatic moment police caught animal smugglers and rescued three baby orangutans.

Highway officers intercepted the suspected traffickers while they were refuelling at a petrol station Chumphon, southern Thailand, on January 22.

The suspects allegedly tried to flee the scene but they were arrested after a brief chase. Officers detained the driver Winai Satamin, 63, and his partner Kalaya, 45, on the roadside.

A sad-eyed baby orangutan in a tiny rusty cage was among the animals that were rescued from the ageing pickup truck.

The six-month-old female primate named Ling is currently being cared for by government vets. She has a brother and sister, also six months, who were rescued along with her.

Police Lieutenant Wimon Kaewchu of the Highway Police Bureau said the operation came following a tip-off about international animal smugglers delivering protected wildlife from the southern border near Malaysia. The suspects' pickup truck was among the vehicles on a watchlist when it was spotted by officers, who radioed through the details and began tailing it.

Police Lieutenant Wimon said: 'Officers questioned Mr Winai about his cargo and he claimed he was transporting fighting cocks. But when the vehicle was inspected, several protected animals were found locked in plastic and wooden crates.

'They were a white-handed gibbon, two siamangs, and three orangutans all listed under CITES Appendix II. A baby goral was inside the wooden crate. The animals were rescued and taken to a wildlife shelter for medical care.'

The orangutans and the other animals are believed to have been smuggled from Indonesia, which has dense forests home to some of the planet's most endangered creatures.

Officers said that selling the wildlife in Bangkok could fetch prices up to 20 times higher than neighbouring countries, with wealthy Chinese buyers on waiting lists to receive the creatures.

Winai allegedly confessed he had been hired by an international trafficking gang to take the animals to Bangkok from the southern border. He said he made 5,000 baht (120 GBP) per trip.

The suspect turned King's Counsel and supplied the details of two addresses in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok, where officers found dozens more smuggled animals. He was detained by police for further legal action.

Chitchanok Sukmongkol, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said: ‘We have handed over the suspects to the inquiry officer of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division.

‘As for these protected and controlled animals and equipment, we requested approval from the inquiry officer to transfer them to the Wildlife Conservation Office to be taken care of. They will be kept in the best of health and eventually returned to the wild.'

Thailand is a major hub for wildlife smuggling due to its strategic location, well-connected transport routes, and high demand for exotic animals and animal products. Despite efforts to combat illegal trade, weak enforcement, corruption, and thriving black markets enable the trafficking of protected species throughout the country.