Vietnam seizes tons of ivory
Vietnamese authorities confiscated seven tons of elephant tusks on Monday, its largest seizure of smuggled wildlife in over four years, South China Morning Post reports. The tusks, which had been shipped from Angolawith a stop in Singapore, were seized at the port city of Haiphong in Northeastern Vietnam, in a container that was declared to be carrying peanuts.
Despite international bans on wildlife trafficking, smuggling of valuable animal goods including ivory remains big business in Southeast Asia. Goods are typically sold on to China, where they are used as charms, medicine, and decorations, Radio Free Asia reports.
Amid mounting international pressure to prevent the trade of ivory, Vietnam has cracked down on wildlife smugglers. Last month, customs officials seized over 1,300 pounds of illegally imported African ivory at a different port in Haiphong, and in October 2018, authorities seized over eight tons of ivory and other wildlife products.
