Vietnam seizes 9 tonnes of ivory from Congo as authorities struggle to crack down on illegal animal trade
- The ivory-stuffed timber logs were discovered Tuesday at Da Nang’s main port on a ship from the Republic of Congo in central Africa
Vietnam has seized more than nine tonnes of suspected ivory in a timber shipment from the Republic of Congo, customs officials said on Friday, in one of the country’s largest illegal wildlife hauls in years.
Though it is illegal to buy and sell ivory in communist Vietnam, lax law enforcement has allowed the illicit trade to flourish on the black market.
The government has vowed to crack down on illegal wildlife trade in the face of mounting international pressure and authorities said the latest bust in central Da Nang city was the biggest in years.
“A huge 9.1-tonne (20,000-pound) package of goods suspected to be ivory hidden inside timber logs was found and confiscated,” according to Hai Quan news site, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam Customs.
The ivory-stuffed timber logs were discovered Tuesday at Da Nang’s main port on a ship from the Republic of Congo in central Africa, it added.