In the first raid, authorities found 23 ivory tusks, weighing 75.7 kilograms (167 pounds) with an estimated value of 275,000 ringgit ($64,150). "Customs officers seized two boxes which contained a large quantity of elephant tusks," senior customs official Pudzi Man said in a statement. The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989. Last month, a Vietnamese man was arrested at Kuala Lumpur airport and a large stash of elephant ivory found in his luggage was seized. Anyone found guilty of importing rare animals or their parts into Malaysia can be jailed for up to three years and fined.

Source: The Nation Bangkok August 02, 2017 07:30 UTC