2023-11-21 10:14:34
In Vietnam, a Hanoi court on Monday sentenced a man to twelve years in prison for smuggling rhino horn and elephant ivory, an environmental NGO said. The organization Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) “is very satisfied to see many heavy sanctions targeting wildlife traffickers,” said its deputy director, Bui Thi Ha. “Wildlife traffickers will only be deterred by increasing legal risks,” she continued.
The accused, aged 36, was detained last April at Hanoi International Airport. He had been hired by an anonymous person to deliver two packages containing twelve kilos of rhino horn and five of elephant ivory from Angola. One of the packages was intercepted during its transit through Qatar.
Vietnam is both a hub and a major market for illegal wildlife trafficking, and experts have long criticized authorities for weak enforcement.
In Vietnam and China, certain beliefs attribute to rhino horn powder the power to cure hangovers and various illnesses. More than 60 tons of ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horn have been seized at major Vietnamese ports since 2018, according to a 2021 ENV report.
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