Photo: The World Daily
JULY 23rd 2019
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily
Ivory From Over 300 Elephants Seized In Singapore
On Tuesday, Singapore said that its authorities had seized a record haul of at least 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory. Conservation groups have said that it is a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade, and that despite elephant ivory trade having gone on for years, the discovery still comes as a shock.
Having been estimated to be worth around $12.9 million, the elephant ivory came from nearly 300 African elephants, and had come from Democratic Republic of the Congo, to be on its way to Vietnam through Singapore.
Along with the elephant ivory, the haul also contained pangolin scales. The haul therefore included what was the third major seizure of the scales in Singapore this year.
The scaly anteater – the pangolin, is recognised as one of the most trafficked and hunted mammals in the world, due to its physical features. Its scales are popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine, despite the fact that the medicinal benefits are massively disputed by medical scientists, and Its meat is considered a delicacy in both Vietnam and in China.
According to the Singapore Customs, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the National Parks Board, “The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market,” and further adding that the July 21st seizure came after a tip-off from China’s customs department.
According to the Singapore authorities, the latest seizure of mammal goods also contained 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about $35.7 million altogether and thought to be equivalent to close to the lives of 2000 pangolins. Since April, Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales, within one raid of which was the biggest of its kind worldwide in the last five years.
In Vietnam around March, the full ivory haul had fallen just short of 9.1 tonnes in seizure, which the non-government organization known as Environmental Investigation Agency stated they believe was thought to be the largest ever ivory haul, globally.
There has been a recent rise in seizures in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in recent months., including that of rhino horns of late.
Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore said that “Singapore has always been inadvertently implicated in the global ivory trade for two reasons: its global connectivity, as well as the presence of a small domestic market where pre-1990s ivory can be legally sold.” He further added that “The consistency of these large-scale seizures is strong evidence of organized crime behind illegal wildlife trade coming through or into Singapore.”
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily
