Communist Vietnam is a hotbed for the illegal wildlife trade, where animal products from elephant ivory to rhino horn and tiger bones are consumed domestically and also smuggled abroad. Police on Thursday found 5.3 tonnes of pangolins scales hidden in a shipment from Nigeria at a port in southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province, according to Hai Quan, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam Customs. The government confirmed Thursday’s haul and also announced a separate seizure of 8.3 tonnes of pangolin scales from “an African country” in the northern Haiphong port earlier this month. Pangolins used to roam free in Vietnam’s national parks, but they have been aggressively hunted in recent decades. Last month Singaporean authorities busted two major shipments of pangolin scales destined for Vietnam weighing nearly 26 tonnes in total.

Source: The Guardian May 24, 2019 11:15 UTC