Da Nang Customs officers have seized a large shipment of suspected rhino horns and wild animal bones at the Tien Sa Port after a joint investigation since June 2021.  

Customs and police officers examine the imported shipment of suspected rhino horns and wildlife bones. Photo: M. QUE

The investigation has been conducted by investigators from the General Department of Customs, the public security ministry's anti-smuggling police, Border Guard Force and the Da Nang port administration.

More than 138kg of suspected rhino horns and more than 3.1 tonnes of wild animal bones suspected to be of rhino and rare and precious wildlife smuggled into the country from South Africa were found on July 17 during the search.

The shipment owner had falsely declared the imported goods were wood.

Da Nang customs officers are working with competent agencies to conduct further investigation into suspected wildlife items. Investigating efforts are ongoing.

Rhino horns are strictly banned from being traded in, imported to or exported from Viet Nam as the rhino and many other wild animals are on the list of endangered wildlife protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which the country has been a party since 1994.

Reporting by MAI QUE – Translating by H.L