About 8 tonnes of ivory and pangolin scales were discovered in a container at Tien Sa port in the central city of Da Nang on October 4, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Competent forces of Da Nang detected 200 sacks containing about 2 tonnes of ivory and six tonnes of pangolin scales in a container, together with about 200 other sacks containing plastic wastes transported from Nigeria.

The cargo was imported by the Thien Truong Su trading company from the central province of Nghe An province.

The case is under further investigation.

In 2015, eight tonnes of ivory, rhino horns and pangolin scales were found in five containers at Tien Sa port.

In 2013, 31.6 kg of ivory from Singapore was seized from a suitcase via air cargo at Da Nang airport.

Trading, storing and transporting ivory is forbidden in Vietnam. Violators can be fined from 5-50 million VND or imprisoned from six months to five years.

In August 2017, a “Say No to Ivory” campaign was launched in Ho Chi Minh City with a view to raising public awareness of elephant protection.

The campaign, part of the global wildlife programme “When the buying stops, the killing can too”, was launched by the Centre of Hand-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) and WildAid organisation.

The “Say No to Ivory” campaign is set to last for three years.

In Vietnam, WildAid is focusing on measures to change people’s wrong belief in the uses of wildlife products, including ivory, through communication publications.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the number of elephants in Vietnam has fallen from more than 1,000 to about 100 which mainly live along the border with Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam has become an illegal point of transit for ivory over the last decade.-VNA