An alleged kingpin of wildlife trafficking, suspected of fueling much of Asia’s illegal animal trade for over a decade, has been arrested in Thailand, local police officials said Saturday.

Boonchai Bach, 40, was arrested in Thailand’s northeastern border province of Nakhon Phanom, in connection with the smuggling of 14 rhino horns worth over $1 million from Africa into Thailand last month. The case also implicated a Thai official and a Chinese and a Vietnamese courier, the Thai police said.

Mr. Boonchai allegedly ran a large trafficking network on the Thai-Laos border that spread into Vietnam. According to the anti-trafficking group Freeland Foundation, he and his family played a key role in a criminal syndicate that has smuggled poached items including ivory, rhino horns, pangolins, tigers, lions and other rare and endangered species for over a decade.

Police said Mr. Boonchai denied the charges against him. Under the country’s wildlife law, he could face up to four years in prison and a $1,300 fine, but authorities said they are also considering money-laundering and customs violation charges that carry up to 10 years in prison.