“When I was director of Yok Don National Park, I saw a live male elephant being tied by poachers to a column of house so they could cut its tusks,” said Do Quang Tung, MARD’s chief secretariat, describing an incident of two years ago in one of three areas with the highest numbers of living elephants in Vietnam.
Elephant tusks, rhino horns and bear gall are the products of a wildlife market valued at $20 billion, ranking third below narcotics and weapon markets worldwide.
Experts say mainland China consumes 70 percent of the world’s elephant tusks. Thailand, Hong Kong and Vietnam are also large markets.
The wholesale price of elephant tusks in Hong Kong and mainland China was $450-900 per kilogram last year.
In the last three months of 2016, Vietnam’s customs officers discovered and seized six tons of elephant tusks.
Recently, in a consignment of timber imported from Mozambique, customs officers discovered 2,052 kilograms of elephant tusks hidden in six out of 100 sections of wood. About 100 elephants were killed for the tusks.
Le Nguyen Linh, deputy head of the Sai Gon Port Zone 1 Customs Agency, said he once saw a pair of tusks weighing up to 60 kilograms illegally carried through the Cat Lai Port.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Welcome to Elephant News Vietnam. This site is intended to be a public service to those wishing to keep up to date with events and issues affecting elephants in Vietnam.
Showing posts with label elephant tusk smuggling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elephant tusk smuggling. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Wednesday, September 06, 2017
Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Smuggled Elephant Tusks Found In Vietnam
Vietnamese customs officers in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday found hundreds of kilograms of elephant tusks hidden in two containers shipped from Africa, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
The smuggled elephant tusks were well hidden in bitumen barrels in the containers shipped from Benin, the city-based Cat Lai port authorities said on Wednesday.
A company in Ho Chi Minh City declared that the two containers contained 16 tons of bitumen and they would be exported to Cambodia after transit in the city.
Earlier, in April and May, Vietnamese customs officers detected several cases of smuggling elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales worth nearly US$450,000 from Africa to Ho Chi Minh City.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://malaysiandigest.com/world/696243-hundreds-of-kilograms-of-smuggled-elephant-tusks-found-in-vietnam.html
The smuggled elephant tusks were well hidden in bitumen barrels in the containers shipped from Benin, the city-based Cat Lai port authorities said on Wednesday.
A company in Ho Chi Minh City declared that the two containers contained 16 tons of bitumen and they would be exported to Cambodia after transit in the city.
Earlier, in April and May, Vietnamese customs officers detected several cases of smuggling elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales worth nearly US$450,000 from Africa to Ho Chi Minh City.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://malaysiandigest.com/world/696243-hundreds-of-kilograms-of-smuggled-elephant-tusks-found-in-vietnam.html
Saturday, August 05, 2017
More than 88,500 cases of smuggling in first half of 2017
Authorities collected 7.9 trillion VND (347.5 million USD) from administrative fines, selling off confiscated smuggled goods, and tax arrears, 40 percent more than the previous year’s first half.
According to National Steering Committee 389, the majority of smuggled goods fall into categories of essential consumer goods, heavily taxed goods, or goods banned for import, such as cocaine, explosives, tobacco, cosmetics, petrol and gas, elephant tusks or rhino horns, among others.
Some notable cases include an interception of 7,800 foreign cigarette packs in the southern province of Long An, or confiscation of 26kg rhino horns and 6kg of elephant tusks in Hanoi, and apprehension of 20 ships illegally transporting 3.5 million litres of gas.
The information was released last week at a steering committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.
The steering committee noted that smuggling continues unabated despite heightened efforts to stem it, especially in border areas, where criminals take advantage of hard-to-access locations and transporting the goods on hidden trails or along small streams sheltered by thick forest.
On the maritime front, smuggling of petrol and gas has been on the rise, the committee said, since Vietnam’s current gas price is higher than in some other countries in the region. The criminals’ favoured modus operandi is using foreign ships to transport oil and gas to Vietnam’s maritime borders and then splitting the stock among different Vietnamese fishing boats.
The Deputy PM said strict legislation must be adopted to “remove or reassign leaders showing signs of aiding and abetting smuggling, counterfeit products and trade fraud.”
He added that anti-smuggling efforts are “an important and permanent political duty to be carried out by all levels of the government,” and that there will be no “zero tolerance” in this matter.
The Deputy PM also said that attention must be focused on transnational criminal groups to protect domestic production.
“Culprits order goods from China, bring them back into the country, slap ‘Made in Vietnam’ labels on them and sell them to unsuspecting customers,” according to Le Hong Son, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee and member of the Steering Committee 389.
He said previously, the counterfeit products were usually of luxury brands, however the range is now increasingly diverse, from sweets and lightbulbs to clothes.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/182520/more-than-88-500-cases-of-smuggling-in-first-half-of-2017.html
According to National Steering Committee 389, the majority of smuggled goods fall into categories of essential consumer goods, heavily taxed goods, or goods banned for import, such as cocaine, explosives, tobacco, cosmetics, petrol and gas, elephant tusks or rhino horns, among others.
Some notable cases include an interception of 7,800 foreign cigarette packs in the southern province of Long An, or confiscation of 26kg rhino horns and 6kg of elephant tusks in Hanoi, and apprehension of 20 ships illegally transporting 3.5 million litres of gas.
The information was released last week at a steering committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.
The steering committee noted that smuggling continues unabated despite heightened efforts to stem it, especially in border areas, where criminals take advantage of hard-to-access locations and transporting the goods on hidden trails or along small streams sheltered by thick forest.
On the maritime front, smuggling of petrol and gas has been on the rise, the committee said, since Vietnam’s current gas price is higher than in some other countries in the region. The criminals’ favoured modus operandi is using foreign ships to transport oil and gas to Vietnam’s maritime borders and then splitting the stock among different Vietnamese fishing boats.
The Deputy PM said strict legislation must be adopted to “remove or reassign leaders showing signs of aiding and abetting smuggling, counterfeit products and trade fraud.”
He added that anti-smuggling efforts are “an important and permanent political duty to be carried out by all levels of the government,” and that there will be no “zero tolerance” in this matter.
The Deputy PM also said that attention must be focused on transnational criminal groups to protect domestic production.
“Culprits order goods from China, bring them back into the country, slap ‘Made in Vietnam’ labels on them and sell them to unsuspecting customers,” according to Le Hong Son, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee and member of the Steering Committee 389.
He said previously, the counterfeit products were usually of luxury brands, however the range is now increasingly diverse, from sweets and lightbulbs to clothes.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/182520/more-than-88-500-cases-of-smuggling-in-first-half-of-2017.html
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Elephant tusks, leopard skins smuggled from Africa to Vietnam
Vietnamese customs officers on Sunday spotted elephant tusks and tails, leopard skins, and wild animals' claws in the luggage of an old local woman who flied from an African country to Ho Chi Minh City.
Checking the personal luggage of a 65-year-old passenger who landed at the Tan Son Nhat international airport, the officers found nearly four kg of elephant tusks, nine elephant tails, three leopard skins and many claws, the municipal Customs Department said, noting that the smuggled items are valued at over 2 billion Vietnamese dong (some 90,000 U.S. dollars).
Over the past four weeks, the airport's customs officers detected several cases of smuggling rhino horns, elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth over 10 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 450,000 U.S. dollars) from Africa to the city.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://vietnam.mynews.club/news/elephant-tusks-leopard-skins-smuggled-from-africa-to-vietnam---xinhua.html
Checking the personal luggage of a 65-year-old passenger who landed at the Tan Son Nhat international airport, the officers found nearly four kg of elephant tusks, nine elephant tails, three leopard skins and many claws, the municipal Customs Department said, noting that the smuggled items are valued at over 2 billion Vietnamese dong (some 90,000 U.S. dollars).
Over the past four weeks, the airport's customs officers detected several cases of smuggling rhino horns, elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth over 10 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 450,000 U.S. dollars) from Africa to the city.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://vietnam.mynews.club/news/elephant-tusks-leopard-skins-smuggled-from-africa-to-vietnam---xinhua.html
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Elephant tusks, leopard skins smuggled from Africa seized at airport
HCM CITY – Tân Sơn Nhất airport customs officers on Sunday found elephant tusks and tails, leopard skins, and wild animal claws worth VNĐ2 billion (US$90,000) in the luggage of a Vietnamese woman who had been on a flight from Africa to HCM City.
The name of the woman was not disclosed.
Checking the luggage of the 62-year-old passenger, the officers found nearly four kilogrammes of elephant tusks, nine elephant tails, three leopard skins and many claws, all of which were from animals listed in the Red Book, according to the HCM City Customs Department.
Last month, the airport’s customs officers detected several smuggling cases of rhino horns, elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth a total of over VNĐ10 billion ($450,000), transported from Africa to HCM City.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/05/elephant-tusks-leopard-skins-smuggled-from-africa-seized-at-airport/
The name of the woman was not disclosed.
Checking the luggage of the 62-year-old passenger, the officers found nearly four kilogrammes of elephant tusks, nine elephant tails, three leopard skins and many claws, all of which were from animals listed in the Red Book, according to the HCM City Customs Department.
Last month, the airport’s customs officers detected several smuggling cases of rhino horns, elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth a total of over VNĐ10 billion ($450,000), transported from Africa to HCM City.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/05/elephant-tusks-leopard-skins-smuggled-from-africa-seized-at-airport/
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Customs at Tan Son Nhat airport seize products from elephant tusks
Customs officers at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City on May 4 discovered over 4kg of products from elephant tusks and pangolin scales illegally transported from Africa to Vietnam.
The products included bracelets and jewellery suspected of being made of African elephant tusks and 200 grams of pangolin scales, worth about VND250 million (about US$11 million).
They were hidden in the luggage of a 34 year-old woman on a flight from Angola to Ho Chi Minh City.
The exhibits are being kept by the airport’s customs officers and the case is under investigation.
Earlier, on April 16, customs at the Tan Son Nhat airport along with authorised agencies uncovered 5kg of smuggled rhino horns.
Vietnam has banned the trading of elephant tusks since 1992.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://english.vov.vn/society/customs-at-tan-son-nhat-airport-seize-products-from-elephant-tusks-348922.vov
The products included bracelets and jewellery suspected of being made of African elephant tusks and 200 grams of pangolin scales, worth about VND250 million (about US$11 million).
They were hidden in the luggage of a 34 year-old woman on a flight from Angola to Ho Chi Minh City.
The exhibits are being kept by the airport’s customs officers and the case is under investigation.
Earlier, on April 16, customs at the Tan Son Nhat airport along with authorised agencies uncovered 5kg of smuggled rhino horns.
Vietnam has banned the trading of elephant tusks since 1992.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://english.vov.vn/society/customs-at-tan-son-nhat-airport-seize-products-from-elephant-tusks-348922.vov
Vietnam police arrest suspects for smuggling rhino horns, elephant tusks, tiger carcasses
Vietnamese police officers have just put three suspects in criminal detention after finding them smuggling wildlife earlier this week.
The suspects in question are Nguyen Mau Chien, Nguyen Van Tung, and Nguyen Ngoc Dung, all hailing from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa.
Chien, Tung and Dung were caught red-handed transporting more than 30kg of rhino horns at the Hanoi Gas Station on April 27.
Police then searched Chien’s living place and discovered 3kg of rhino horn, two frozen tiger carcasses, elephant tusks, lion skin, and some other products made from elephant tusk.
Chien admitted to police officers that he and his nephews, Tung and Dung, had bought the wildlife from South Africa and shipped them to Malaysia.
They then transported them to Ho Chi Minh City before taking them to Hanoi for consumption.
Investigators believe Chien is just part of a larger ring smuggling wildlife so they are expanding their probe.
To read the full article, click on the story title
The suspects in question are Nguyen Mau Chien, Nguyen Van Tung, and Nguyen Ngoc Dung, all hailing from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa.
Chien, Tung and Dung were caught red-handed transporting more than 30kg of rhino horns at the Hanoi Gas Station on April 27.
Police then searched Chien’s living place and discovered 3kg of rhino horn, two frozen tiger carcasses, elephant tusks, lion skin, and some other products made from elephant tusk.
Chien admitted to police officers that he and his nephews, Tung and Dung, had bought the wildlife from South Africa and shipped them to Malaysia.
They then transported them to Ho Chi Minh City before taking them to Hanoi for consumption.
Investigators believe Chien is just part of a larger ring smuggling wildlife so they are expanding their probe.
To read the full article, click on the story title
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)