KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has made a record seizure of 50 rhino horns worth an estimated US$12mil at the Kuala Lumpur airport as they were being flown to Vietnam, authorities said Monday. Vietnam is a hot market for rhino horn, which is believed to have medicinal properties and is in high demand among the communist nation’s growing middle class. A single kilo of rhino horn can fetch tens of thousands of dollars in the region, where many falsely believe it can cure cancer. Rhino horn sent to Asia typically comes from Africa. Elizabeth John, from wildlife trade watchdog Traffic, described the rhino horn seizure as “staggering” and urged authorities to track down the people behind the smuggling attempt.

Source: The Star August 20, 2018 15:34 UTC