243 Pounds of Ivory Seized at Ho Chi Minh City’s Airport

More than 240 pounds of ivory was discovered by customs officials at Ho Chi Minh City’s airport over the weekend.

Vietnamese customs officials found 243 pounds of elephant tusks hidden among luggage at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). The illicit ivory, which has an estimated black market value of $113,200 according to the Thanh Nien News, was seized on Sunday.

Do Thanh Quang, customs chief at SGN, said the ivory originated from Nigeria on a flight from Doha, Qatar. The tusks were wrapped in tin foil and stashed among cashew nuts. According to SGN customs, the foil was meant to shield the tusks from x-rays or other electronic detection methods.

“We have launched an investigation into the case, but no one has been arrested,” Quang told The Wall Street Journal.

Quang said that the use of electronic screening devices during customs inspections is causing smugglers to turn to commercial aircraft, “making us increase our vigilance and inspect any suspected goods.”

Earlier this year, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered all government agencies to aggressively take steps to prevent poaching and trafficking of African wildlife parts. An official from the Wildlife Conservation Society told the WSJ that Vietnam is a transit point for elephant tusks and rhino horns smuggled from Africa to China.

The unnamed official said Vietnam might destroy seized stockpiles of “ivory, rhino horns and tiger bones” as a sign of commitment against poaching. In January, Hong Kong said it would incinerate 28 tons of confiscated ivory to discourage the illegal trade. Much of the poached ivory ends up in China. Rhino horns and tiger bones are coveted by those who believe that such animal parts can cause physical enhancements if consumed.

Officials at SGN have seized more than 660 pounds of illicit ivory in six cases so far this year, reports the Thanh Nien News. Vietnam’s deputy minister of agriculture told the WSJ that wildlife trafficking remains common in Vietnam.

Convicted wildlife smugglers face up to seven years in a Vietnamese prison.

[Photo: Thanh Nien News]