Hai Phong (VNA) – Customs forcesin the northern city of Hai Phong discovered nearly 1.4 tonnes of pangolinscales and 20 elephant tusks weighing more than 100kg hidden inside a containershipped from Nigeria.
The 20-feet container arrived at Lach Huyenport in Hai Phong on January 26. It was registered as carrying timber, with thereceiver named as VIC Thanh Binh Import-Export Co., Ltd, which is located in Dan Phuongdistrict, Hanoi.
Further investigation is underway into thesmuggling of these illegal goods.
In Vietnam, illegal hunting, trading,poaching and transportation of even one pangolin carries punishment of one tofive years imprisonment and a fine of between 500 million VND (22,000 USD) and2 billion VND (86,728 USD).
The country banned the trading of elephanttusks in 1992. Trading, storing and transporting ivory is forbidden, withviolators fined from 5-50 million VND or imprisoned from six months to fiveyears.-VNA
