9.16 TONS OF BLOOD IVORY SEIZED BY CHINESE CUSTOMS OFFICIALS
(Posted 05th December 2019)
Chinese customs seized over 1,200 tonnes of endangered species contraband in the first 10 months of the year, an official said.
The seized items included 9.16 tonnes of ivory and ivory products, Sun Zhijie, director of the anti-smuggling department of the General Administration of Customs, told a meeting in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province.
Chinese customs investigated 444 smuggling cases related to endangered species and products from January to October, Sun added.
Customs authorities have more recently attached greater importance to cracking down on international criminal gangs in order to improve China’s image abroad where being constantly in the news about ivory and other prohibited wildlife product imports savaged the country’s global standing.
In March, Huangpu customs in Guangdong Province busted an international smuggling ring and seized nearly 7.5 tonnes of ivory in one single raid.
Fuzhou, Xiamen and Nanning customs also busted cross-border smuggling gangs during the 10-month period.
China today adopts a zero-tolerance policy on the smuggling of endangered species, and will continue to strengthen international cooperation to crack down on such crimes, Sun concluded.
Meanwhile have Chinese officials yesterday displayed nearly 2.5 tons of elephant tusks and related prohibited items at China’s southern Guangxi autonomous region. The entire lot was being prepared for transfer to secure storage facilities.
