Hanoi (VNA) – Joint efforts are being made to crackdown on the illegal trade of wild animals on the Internet in Vietnam as moretraders have shifted offline to Internet-based markets.

A wide range of products from endangered species, such as ivory,rhino horns, bear’s paws and tiger skins, are available and openly advertisedon popular social media networks and online marketplaces which give sellerseasier access to buyers and allow both of them to remain anonymous.

The Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) said on May 26 thatit found more than 2,400 advertisements for wildlife species’ parts on socialmedia sites Facebook, YouTube, Zalo and TikTok in 2019. There have been 424cases by the end of April this year.

Fortunately, more and more users are ready to report on illegalwildlife trade on such websites, the ENV said.

At the same time, Facebook, Zalo and several e-commerceplatforms like Lazada and Shopee are joining hands to remove advertisements ofwildlife products on their sites while local authorities across the country havebeen more aware of the risk on the Internet and started getting tough onviolations.

In May, Facebook removed 277 posts selling wild animals on amajor group named “Hoi Anh Em Ba Mien” (Group of brothers across three regions)and issued warnings to deactivate the group if more breaches are found.

In Da Nang, local police discovered and seized 12individuals of various endangered birds of prey after searching home of atrader who was openly seeking buyers on Facebook. The trader was later finedover 11 million VND (480 USD) for his offence.

In February, a man living in Hoan Kiemdistrict, Hanoi received 36 months behind bars for illegally transporting alarge jar of liquor containing two paws of an Asian black bear. Police tracedan advertisement about the liquor jar posted by his wife on Facebook and caughthim red-handed while he was carrying the jar to a buyer.

Another woman from Hanoi was sentenced 12months in prison for illegally trading a liquor jar with a baby Asian blackbear inside on the Internet.

ENV Deputy Director Bui Thi Ha said the centre hopesVietnamese authorities will continue taking moves to combat wildlifecybercrimes in particular and put an end to wildlife trade in general./.