VietNamNet Bridge - In the last six years, the Vietnamese authorities have discovered dozens of cases of illegal transport and trade of rhino horn, seizing more than 100 kg, making Vietnam the top nation for detection of illegally imported rhino horns.

This information was released by Mr. Do Quang Tung, deputy director of the Vietnam CITES (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) at a ceremony in response to the World Rhino Day, September 22.

Among these cases, there are 11 cases of illegal import of rhino horns into Vietnam, mainly by air, and 4 cases of rhino horn trafficking domestically.

In the first half of 2012, the Vietnamese authorities detected two cases and confiscated 20kg of rhino horns.

Besides illegal transportation and trade of rhino horns, Vietnam legally imports 10-30 rhino specimens in the form of hunting specimens annually (from 2006 to present).

A recent report by the wildlife trade monitoring network (TRAFFIC) showed that Vietnam has the highest number of cases related to rhinos in South Africa in Southeast Asia and a big market for the consumption of rhino horns.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also said that China and Vietnam are the two leading markets of rhino horns in the world, where rhino horns are used as medicines.

Na Son