Dang Tat The from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources said they were from African elephants of various ages.
The waybill claimed the cargo was plastic scrap for recycling and the officials found scrap only in containers on the outside.
Beneath them were 114 containers containing the tusks, three or four pairs of large ones in each or more in case of smaller ones.
Many large ones had been cut into smaller pieces to fit the containers, numbered to be put together later.
Officials are yet to estimate how many tusks there are but an official said “it is the biggest ivory haul ever in Vietnam.”
The Hai Phong Customs Bureau gave a cash reward of VND10 million (US$572) to the inspection team and is looking for the consignee.
A survey released February 16 by the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC said ivory prices in Vietnam are possibly the highest in the world, with whole tusks fetching up to $1,500 a kilogram and pieces $1,863.
Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992, but shops can sell ivory dating from before the ban. This allows some to restock illegally, TRAFFIC said. |