Police in Danang city on August 25 seized another large amount of elephant tusks and pangolin scales illegally transported into Vietnam.
The smuggled tusks and pangolin scales seized at Tien Sa Port
The elephant tusks and pangolin scales were hidden inside hundreds of bags filled with red beans at Tien Sa Port. The container was sent to Hung Huy Bao Ltd. Co. at Thuan Phuoc, Hai Chau Ward, Danang City.
The container was brought to Tien Sa Port from Malaysia on August 13. This is the third time in the past two weeks that authorities in Danang City have seized illegally-transported tusks and pangolin scales at Tien Sa Port.
Authorities in Danang on August 26 evening completed the investigation and found over 5 tonnes of wild animal products including over a tonne of elephant tusks and over 4 tonnes of pangolin scales in the seized bags.
"This is a huge amount hidden among 19.8 tonnes of red beans," the investigative team told Lao Dong Newspaper. "The investigation process was slow due to the size of the task and heavy rain."
On August 21, police in Danang also seized 2.2 tonnes of elephant tusks illegally transported into Vietnam from Nigeria. This is the biggest-ever ivory smuggling case in Vietnam yet and police will conduct a complete investigation in the coming days.
Trade in elephant tusks and rhino horn is illegal in Vietnam. Elephants and rhinos are endangered species and listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
