The illegal trading of wild animals which mostly come from Africa is carried out by air and waterways through Laos, Cambodia to Vietnam, and then by road from Vietnam to China, the report said.

"The smugglers often hide the frozen animals or animal parts including ivory, tiger bones, or rhino horn among agricultural products being exported to China through border gates or open roads between the two countries.

The ministry also said that local customs officers have dealt with 42 wild animal smuggling cases so far this year in Vietnam with products mainly ivory, rhino horn and pangolins.

A representative from the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Society, Vu Hai Chau, recently told the Nguoiduatin Newspaper that Vietnam has been chosen as one of ideal trading places of wild animals with the increasing number of cases reported recently.

"Wild animals are being brought from Africa to Laos, Cambodia to Vietnam before being sent to other large markets including China, Hong Kong and Thailand where ivory will be made into jewellery while rhino horn is turned into traditional medicine," Chau said. "A kilo of ivory here is currently sold between VND30-50 million (USD1,322-2,203) while that of rhino horn may reach billions of Dong.

The Wildlife Conservation Society early this month co-operated with local authorities in Guang Xi Province in China to hold a conference discussing measures and providing training for wildlife conservation staff in Vietnam and China to prevent the illegal trading between two countries.

dtinews