Vietnamese customs seizes 1.2 tonnes of elephant ivory hidden in timber logs

Vietnamese customs uncovered nearly 1.2 tonnes of elephant ivory hidden inside hollowed-out timber logs at Quy Nhon port in August, marking the largest seizure at the coastal facility and exposing the mechanics of a transnational smuggling network that continues to funnel African ivory into Asia despite China's domestic ban.

The contraband travelled 9,000 nautical miles from an inland port on the Congo River, making stops in Sri Lanka and Singapore before reaching Vietnam's central coast three months later. Customs officers drilled into the logs on August 6 after port scanners flagged hollow cavities, discovering 221 pieces of sawn tusk sealed inside compartments with wax.

Syndicates exploit Vietnam as transit hub

The seizure points to Vietnam's role as a critical waypoint for ivory moving from Africa to markets in China, where the tusks could command millions of dollars. Tracking data reviewed by This Week in Asia mapped the shipment's route across multiple continents, revealing the logistical complexity traffickers employ to evade detection.

Between 2009 and 2018, Vietnamese authorities seized 56 tonnes of ivory within the country's borders, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency, an international NGO that monitors wildlife crime. An additional 20 tonnes linked to Vietnam were intercepted in other countries during the same period, underscoring the scale of the networks operating through the Southeast Asian nation.

The August bust was far from an isolated incident—smuggled ivory has been uncovered repeatedly at Vietnamese ports, despite regulatory efforts. The use of timber shipments as cover and the three-week gap between the cargo's arrival and discovery illustrate the challenges customs agencies face in disrupting these supply chains.

Source: South China Morning Post