HCM City Police is investigating into two smuggling cases of over two tonnes of ivory from Africa to Cat Lai Port.

Two tonnes of ivory from Africa smuggled to Cat Lai Port on October 6

HCM City police said they were working with customs agencies for investigation after 500kg of ivory were intercepted at Cat Lai Port on October 21. The shipment passed the scanners however the officers noticed suspicious signs and decided to check the imports manually.

They found 500kg of ivory hidden inside hollow wood blocks and 10 bags of pangolin scales worth over VND10bn (USD450,000).

This is the second ivory smuggling case found at Cat Lai Port this month.

On October 6, the customs also found out more than two tonnes of smuggled African ivory at Cat Lai Port and decided to prosecute the importer, Dieu Tien Trading and Services Ltd. Company. Dieu Tien Company was registered in last November but there is only a convenient store at the company supposed location.

The company registered to import two containers of wood blocks from Mozambique via Cat Lai Port. However, the scanners detected suspicious objects and it was found out later that hundreds of pieces of ivory had been glued inside 12 wood blocks.

This is the biggest ivory smuggling case at Cat Lai Port. Dieu Tien Company had hired another company to deal with customs procedures and importation.

Lieutenant-General Dong Dai Loc, deputy director of the General Department of Police under the Ministry of Public Security, said smuggling methods were becoming more sophisticated. He suggested it was possible that the importer is only a ghost company.

"Vietnam is not really an ideal market for ivory but a transit point. At Tien Sa Port in Danang City, the authorities have also discovered several huge ivory smuggling cases," he said.

The police are expanding the investigation.

Dtinews