Customs officers in Ho Chi Minh City intercepted nearly 500kg of ivory hidden in two timber containers that had been imported from Africa on Tuesday, the fourth instance of ivory smuggling to be unearthed in the last 30 days.
The tusks were stacked inside wooden trunks and surrounded by sawdust in the hope of avoiding detection, according to customs officers at the city’s Cat Lai International Port.
The seized products weighed nearly 500kg, and are estimated to be worth VND20 billion (US$900,000).
The two containers were supposed to be transported to Binh Duong Port in the nearby southern province of Binh Duong where the consignee, Tam Phuc Ltd., is registered.
Last month, three cases of ivory smuggling were also busted in Ho Chi Minh City, with a total amount of 3.5 metric tons and a total market value of VND140 billion (US$6.3 million).
In response to the increasing frequency of ivory smuggling, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Finance to thoroughly investigate each case.
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