On the morning of March 20, The biggest ever case of ivory smuggling and transportation at Hai Phong port with about 7 tons was discovered and seized by Hai Phong Customs Department

On March 20, Hai Phong Customs discovered and seized about 7 tons of ivory smuggled from Africa to Vietnam – Photo: CTV

Information from the General Department of Customs on the morning of March 20, at Nam Hai Dinh Vu port (Hai Phong), Hai Phong Customs Department chaired and coordinated with Hai Phong Police to examine a 20-foot container containing ivory smuggled from Africa

According to a source from Hai Phong Customs Department, by professional measures, this agency has analyzed and evaluated 6 questionable containers; which identified the shipment of 3 containers (declared as peanuts) with very suspicious signs

Specifically, the shipment originated from Angola and was transshipped in Singapore to conceal the shipping route

Describing the name of the goods in an uncommon language and using incorrect consignee information…

This is a new and very sophisticated trick to evade customs control

As soon as the goods were loaded and unloaded at the port, the Hai Phong Customs Department directed the units to conduct key supervision, inspect the goods with a container scanner and manually check the entire shipment after analyzing the questionable image

The search results found in the container number UACU3786863 estimated to contain about 7 tons of ivory, the largest amount ever at Hai Phong port.

It is known that Africa ivory seized by Hai Phong Customs Department is in Appendix I of CITES, on the list of goods banned from import, violating the provisions of Decree No. 69 in 2018 of the Government

Hai Phong Customs Department promptly prevented criminal acts of the subjects, effectively deterring other subjects who were intending to illegally trade and transport goods on the CITES list to Vietnam to gain illicit profits

The General Department of Customs said that it is continuing to coordinate with relevant forces to verify and clarify to handle according to regulations.