Defendants face jail sentence for trafficking pangolin scales

Hai Phong: More than 18 tonnes of ivory and pangolin scales seized in five years

Pangolin scales were seized by Customs in March at Hai Phong Port. Photo: T.B

Five-year jail sentence for storing pangolin scales

The People’s Court of northern Hung Yen province on June 2 sentenced Nguyen Van Long, 36, residing in Tan Tien commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, to five years and three months in jail for storing 780kg of pangolin scales - a type of banned goods - in accordance with Clause 3, Article 191 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017).

During a raid on the house of Long's older brother in September 2018, the Department of Environmental Police under the Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with Van Giang District Police, detected 32 sacks containing 780kg of pangolin scales without a certificate of origin. Long later said that he was the owner of the goods.

The verification from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources showed that the goods include 225kg of Ground Pangolin (Manis temminckii) and 555kg of White-bellied pangolin scales (Manis tricuspis), worth nearly VND1.053 billion.

These pangolin species do not exist in nature in Vietnam and are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Thus, these pangolin scales are banned goods as per the provisions of the Investment Law 2014 (now the Investment Law 2020) and the Government Decree 30/2018/ND-CP dated March 7, 2018.

The defendant's offence not only harms the populations of these pangolin species in the wild, but also abets the transnational illegal trade and consumption of pangolin scales and violates the Penal Code with a jail sentence of 5-10 years.

Bui Thi Ha, Deputy Director of Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), said this is the first case relating to African pangolin scales brought to trial in the past five years.

She also highly appreciated great efforts of relevant competent agencies and local agencies in detecting, arresting and prosecuting the criminal.

With the harsh punishment and the decision to destroy all confiscated pangolin scales, the People's Court of Hung Yen province showed the policy of zero tolerance for wildlife-related crime. It served as a warning to those who have illegally earned profits from wild animals, she said.

Earlier, in July 2020, the provincial People’s Court also imposed a 16-year jail sentence on Nguyen Dinh Hong, 32, residing in Tay Son town, Ha Tinh province, for transporting 116 pangolins across Hung Yen province.

Tackle ring of trafficking and storing nearly 1 ton of pangolin

Regarding violation in trafficking and storing pangolin scales, in April, the Investigation Police Department under Ha Noi City Police issued a decision to prosecute Nguyen Thi Chinh, Nguyen Thi Ha and Hoang Thi Hien Phuong for “trading in prohibited goods" and Nguyen Van Su for "transporting banned goods".

In early January, the Department of Environmental Police detected Nguyen Thi Chinh (33, in Hop Hoa, Tam Duong Vinh Phuc province) who had stored and illegal traded pangolin scales.

Chinh colluded with suspects who illegally store, transport and trade in endangered and rare wildlife products in Hanoi and some other provinces; and bought and stored pangolin scales in Hanoi or from abroad and then sold them to customers to make a profit.

These suspects operate in a sophisticated manner and regularly change transport methods, hiding and transaction sites to outsmart the detection of competent agencies.

On March, the Department of Environmental Police, in coordination with the Investigation Police Department, seized 50 sacks containing 984kg of pangolin scales.

Expanding the investigation, the police arrested Nguyen Thi Ha as an accomplice to Chinh in illegal trading of pangolin scales.

The case is being investigated by Hanoi City Police.

Over recent years, Customs have handled large-scale violations and seized tons of pangolin scales, ivory, and hundreds of kilograms of rhino horn.

Hai Phong Customs Department seized a large amount of banned goods, including: 3,961 tons of ivory, 14,321 tons of pangolin scales, and 11.9 tons of Camwood.

In March 2019, the Northern Anti-Smuggling Control Team (under the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department) coordinated with Hai Phong Customs Department to seize more than 8 tons of pangolin scales that were illegally transported to Vietnam. This case is considered the largest seizure of pangolin scales ever in Vietnam.