HANOI - Around two tonnes of ivory hidden in a timber shipment from Mozambique has been seized in Vietnam, customs authorities said Friday, the second large haul of the illegally-trafficked product in a week. Although the ivory trade is banned in Vietnam, the country remains a top market for ivory products. Although ivory trade is banned in Vietnam, the country remains a top market for ivory products prized locally for decorative and medicinal purposes. It is also a busy thoroughfare for tusks trafficked from Africa destined for other parts of Asia. Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992, but shops still sell ivory dating from before the ban and weak law enforcement has allowed its illegal trade to persist.

Source: Bangkok Post October 07, 2016 11:48 UTC