The leader in the case, Nguyen Thi Chinh from northern Vinh Phuc Province, was sentenced to seven years, while Hoang Thi Hien Phuong from Hanoi, was jailed for five years for her role as a broker.

Nguyen Thi Ha from Vinh Phuc got four years and Nguyen Van Su, also from Vinh Phuc, was sentenced to two years in prison for illegally transporting the scales.

Pangolin is a protected wild animal due to increasing demand for its meat and scales in Vietnam and China. Some pangolin species have been listed in the red book by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered species.

Vietnamese laws prohibit the hunting, killing, caging, trading or transport of wild animals. 

Source: Vietnam News