Rangers seized 55 ivory tusks from a suspected cross-border smuggling gang in Thailand.

Officers intercepted the illegal shipment following a tip-off about smuggled goods arriving in Bueng Kan province across Laos on January 11.

Security forces were deployed to the Mekong River, where they found a boat docking at a pier in Ban Lao Mak Phang village.

Around 10 people approached to receive the cargo before the rangers swooped in to inspect them.

As the authorities approached, the boat quickly sped back to Laos, leaving behind nine blue sacks and two suspects identified as Kovit Nanthathin, 21, and Chitsanuphong Khotarat, 18, from a nearby town.

The abandoned containers reportedly contained 55 ivory tusks weighing 169 kilograms (372 lbs).

Both men allegedly admitted they were hired to transport sacks for 200 baht each, claiming they thought it was rosewood.

Authorities charged them with 'illegal possession of protected wildlife carcasses, attempted illegal export of protected wildlife carcasses, importing carcasses without a licence, and exporting goods without customs clearance'.

The pair and the seized ivory were handed over to the Lao Luang Police Station for further legal action.

Thailand is a major transit hub for animal trafficking. With its porous borders with Myanmar and Cambodia, the country is a key route for smuggled wildlife across Southeast Asia.