Nearly 1 tonne of elephant tusks, pangolin scales uncovered in Hanoi
Customs officers of Noi Bai International Airport on September 28 seized nearly one tonne of elephant tusks, ivory products and pangolin scales transported from Nigeria.
Hanoi (VNA) –Customs officers of Noi Bai International Airport on September 28 seized nearlyone tonne of elephant tusks, ivory products and pangolin scales transportedfrom Nigeria.
They include 193 kg ofelephant tusks and ivory products, and 805 kg of pangolin scales.
The products were hidden in24 boxes sent by two companies based in Nigeria to two companies in Hanoi’soutskirt district of Soc Son through Turkish Airlines on September 21.
The products have been puton the seals. The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has also takentheir samples to trace their origin.
Trading,storing and transporting ivory is forbidden in Vietnam. Violators can be finedfrom 5-50 million VND or imprisoned from six months to five years.
In August 2017, a “Say No to Ivory” campaign waslaunched in Ho Chi Minh City with a view to raising public awareness of elephantprotection.
The campaign, part of the global wildlifeprogramme “When the buying stops, the killing can too”, was launched by theCentre of Hand-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE)and WildAid organisation.
The “Say No to Ivory” campaign is set to lastfor three years.
In Vietnam, WildAid is focusing on measures tochange people’s wrong belief in the uses of wildlife products, including ivory,through communication publications.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, the number of elephants in Vietnam has fallen from more than1,000 to about 100 which mainly live along the border with Laos and Cambodia.Vietnam has become an illegal point of transit for ivory over the lastdecade.-VNA
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