Vietnamese customs seized more than 600 kilograms of elephant tusks hidden in two containers from Africa in the northern port city of Hai Phong.
Customs reports this in a report on Tuesday. It is the largest seizure of smuggled ivory in Vietnam since October 2018.
In Hai Phong, 130 kilograms of ivory was found in a container from Nigeria on Monday. On Thursday, 490 kilograms of ivory were discovered in the port of Lach Huyen, also in Hai Phong. Both containers were destined for a company in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and should contain cow horns, which can be used in handicrafts in Vietnam.
The import and export of ivory have been banned in Vietnam. Ivory can be sold for $770 to $1,200 per kilogram. In addition, the country often serves as a stopover for African ivory en route to China. Except for occasional stockpile auctions, the international ivory trade has been banned since 1989.