More than 600kg ivory hidden in 2 containers of imported wood

The ivory was seized by Customs Enforcement team in the evening of Novemeber 24th 2016.

As the Customs Newspaper has published, on the evening of November 24^th 2016, the Customs Enforcement team – HCMC Customs Department collaborated with Saigon Port area 1 Customs Branch, C74 – Ministry of Public Security and the Border Guard of HCMC port to inspect 2 containers of imported wood at Cát Lái port. They discovered a large amount of ivory hidden inside the wood.

The above shipments arrived Cát Lái port on November 18^th, on the manifest showed that it was imported wood from Africa to Vietnam. The consignee is Kim Thanh import export commodity Logistic Co. Ltd, with a registered business address in District 2, HCMC.

Through investigation sources, the Customs force detected signs of contraband shipment; Customs Enforcement team held supervision of the shipment. After several days, the enterprise didn’t come to do the procedure, so on November 24^th 2016, Customs Enforcement Team issued a Decision to inspect the containers.

After they put the ivory into hollowed wooden logs and poured white wax to seal around, they used wooden screws to pack the wood in instead of steel screws like previous cases. According to Customs officers, this new method aims to create an uninterrupted block of wood, avoiding strange image through the scanner.

The case is being investigated by the Customs Enforcement team and other functional forces for extensive investigation.