A recent seizure by customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport has resulted in the confiscation of 11.8 kilograms of rhino horns and 4.7 kilograms of ivory elephant tusks that were being smuggled into Vietnam.
The contraband was found in the possession of a Vietnamese man who was traveling from Doha to Vietnam on April 24, the VOV reported.
Upon questioning, the man admitted to being hired by an individual named Chung to transport the illegal goods from Angola to Doha before bringing them to Vietnam for a payment of VND50 million.
The authorities have launched an investigation into the matter.
Unfortunately, Vietnam is known to be a hub for the illicit trade of wildlife products such as rhino horns, elephant ivory, tiger parts, and pangolins. These products are often considered a status symbol and are used for decoration and medicine, despite the lack of scientific evidence to support their supposed medicinal properties.
It is illegal in Vietnam to hunt, kill, trade or transport wild animals, but the high profits from trafficking continue to entice people into this illegal trade.
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Source: Vietnam Insider