Over two tonnes of ivory seized in Ho Chi Minh City
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VIETNAMESE customs officials have seized more than two tonnes of ivory hidden in emptied out wooden logs, authorities said yesterday.
The logs had been transported from Mozambique and were initially thought to hold around 500 kilograms of elephant tusks, said Le Dinh Loi, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh Customs.
On closer examination, it was found that 2,052 kilograms of tusks were buried inside the logs “in a very sophisticated manner”, Loi said.
Loi said that authorities were taking legal action against the company responsible for importing the logs.
Yesterday’s incident was Vietnam’s second major ivory bust in the past week. Customs officials seized 309kg of tusks last Saturday, which had been flown in to Hanoi from the United Arab Emirates.
Vietnam is a frequent transport point for ivory from Africa, where it is often smuggled on to China. Ivory can be sold within Vietnam for between $770 to $1,200 per kg. In 2009, nearly seven tonnes of ivory were seized in Hai Phong City, in Vietnam’s largest recorded bust to date. – DPA
