Breaking! Customs Officials In Vietnam Seize Seven Tons Of Illegal Elephant Ivory Smuggled From Africa

Yesterday, Vietnamese authorities discovered and seized an estimated seven tons of elephant ivory that was smuggled into the country from Africa. The massive haul marks the largest smuggling and illegal transportation of ivory that has been intercepted in the Hai Phong port area of Vietnam.

As per a statement released by the Vietnamese government, Hai Phong Customs Department and the City Police worked together on the seizure after first becoming suspicious of a shipment of containers. The shipment departed from Angola, before being transported to Singapore, and then to the Nam Hai Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong. Authorities decided to inspect the cargo after noticing that the receiver’s details were labeled incorrectly.

The Hai Phong Customs Department directed the units to conduct key supervision, inspect the goods with a container scanner, and manually check the entire shipment. One of the six questionable containers, labeled as containing peanuts, was filled with more than seven tons of elephant tusks.

The ivory trade in Vietnam became illegal in 1992. Despite this, the country remains a major market for ivory products which are falsely deemed “valuable” for several reasons including their so-called “medicinal purposes.”

While an investigation is underway to determine the perpetrators behind this failed smuggling attempt, last month in Vietnam, a man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for trafficking nearly 10 tons of endangered animal parts from Africa. Cargo recovered from that seizure included elephant tusks, pangolin scales, and lion bones.

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg