4.2 kg of ivory tusks found in package from France

The package, weighing 5.8 kg, was intended for a consignee in Hanoi, but due to a mistake by the airfreight transporter, it was delivered to HCMC, the sub-department reported on Tuesday.

Of the three tusk segments, two are 45 cm long with a maximum circumference of 15 cm; the other is 33.5 cm long with a maximum circumference of 33 cm.

The total value of these tusk segments is estimated at VND2 billion (US$96,000).

The discovery was made on February 12, when the sub-department of Ho Chi Minh City opened the package for inspection after noticing suspicious signs.

The package was declared as containing clothing by the consignor, but customs found items they believed to be ivory tusks hidden among the clothes in the package.

Samples of these items were sent to the Tropical Biological Institute under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for testing and on Tuesday, the institute confirmed that the samples are ivory tusks originating from Africa.
       
African ivory tusk is listed in the World’s Red Book and Vietnam officially banned the trade of elephant tusks in 1992, customs officers said.

The HCMC Express Delivery Customs Sub-department has sealed the tusks for handling in accordance with applicable regulations.

On December 12, 2013, the HCMC People’s Court sentenced Le Van Tu, 44, the director of a city-based Thai Minh Import and Export Co Ltd, and his deputy to 3 years in jail each for smuggling 158 pieces of ivory tusks weighing more than 2.4 tons.

By far the biggest seizure of elephant tusks in Vietnam occurred in March 2009 when customs officers in northern Hai Phong city discovered nearly seven tons of the goods in a container shipped from Tanzania, a country in East Africa.