Authorities seize 3.7 tonnes of illegal ivory headed for Vietnam

1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusks were seized by the AVA. Photo: AVA/Singapore 

SINGAPORE — The shipment from Kenya was declared as tea leaves, but upon closer inspection, it was found to contain about 3.7 tonnes of illegal ivory, making it the second largest seizure of illegal ivory by the local authorities since 2002.

The seized shipment --- which also included four pieces of rhinoceros horns and 22 pieces of canine teeth, believed to be from   -- is estimated to be worth S$8 million.

The goods were shipped in two 20-footer containers from the African country and were transiting through Singapore for Vietnam, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and Singapore Customs said in a joint media release today (May 19).

Upon inspecting the containers, the AVA uncovered 1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusks, whole and cut, concealed among bags of tea dust; as well as the rhinoceros horns and canine teeth. Further investigations into the shipment, which was seized last week, are underway. Read More

Source: todayonline.com

Malaysia seizes million-dollar ivory shipment: Customs

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has seized elephant tusks and ivory handicrafts worth an estimated four million ringgit (S$1.6 million) en route from Kenya to Cambodia, a customs official said Tuesday.

The haul is the latest to indicate Malaysia has become an Asian transit hub in the illicit ivory trade, and follows the seizure of hundreds of African elephants' tusks in several busts by Malaysian authorities in recent months.

Customs inspectors seized the container last Thursday in Klang, Malaysia's biggest port, after it was unloaded from a cargo ship.

"The cargo manifest said the container contained handicrafts (soapstone) and it was loaded in Mombasa port in Kenya," Azis Yacub, state customs director of the state of Selangor, where the port is located, said in a statement.

Officials also found carved elephant and rhinoceros ivory. Azis said the container's final destination was the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

In August, Hong Kong authorities seized nearly two tonnes of elephant ivory worth about $1.7 million in a shipment from Malaysia, which wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC has described as a major hub for illicit wildlife products.

TRAFFIC says that the illegal ivory trade has been rising globally since 2004 largely due to increasing demand in China, where ivory is often ground up and used in traditional medicine.

International trade in elephant ivory was banned in 1990, but since then several auctions of tusks from elephants that died naturally or were seized from poachers have been permitted in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.

Resource :  AFP

From 8am to 5pm ...

  Nearly 700 tusks recently seized in Malaysia (Photo credit: Star Publications (M) Berhad)

Azrina Abdullah

WHAT a busy few months it has been for Malaysia as it has yet again been pushed into the international wildlife spotlight. Aside from 1,764 elephant tusks seized by customs since July in Johor, Penang and Selangor (bad), there was also the rescue of animals this month from deplorable conditions in two Johor zoos after years of pressure from NGOs (good).

In addition, there was a troubling find of 12 snares in August near the East-West Highway, and other evidence to suggest that the Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve is increasingly becoming a poacher's haven, including those from Thailand and Cambodia (bad).

Much has been said about the lack of enforcement where wildlife is concerned because it is not a priority and in most cases, budget is sorely lacking to ensure enforcement officers have adequate resources to do their job well.
And after each criticism, the agencies always respond to say they have beefed up border controls and increased patrols across the peninsula. Then I read the response of Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) state director for Perak on the comment by two NGOs that her enforcement personnel had slackened in their patrols of the Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve.

She stated that this comment was not true because her officers patrol the East-West Highway points from 8am to 5pm every day. Yes, you read that right – 8am to 5pm. Is there something wrong with this statement? Does the director think poachers only hunt during office hours? If I was a poacher, this is a too good to be true statement – enter the forest after 5pm because no officers will catch me.

I am praying that this is a misquote by the reporter as it sends a despairing message to those working to save the Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve that Perhilitan is not serious about protecting our precious wildlife.
It does make you wonder how this matches with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's statements over the years that it has "increased patrols, beefed up security and enforcement staff". If 8am-5pm patrols are what the ministry meant by "increased patrols", it is no surprise that poaching in Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve is worsening.

The director also defended her department by saying the forest reserve is under the jurisdiction of the state, and not the department. Therefore, there are restrictions to what her officers can do. More excuses.
Perhilitan has mentioned repeatedly that the public plays an important role in providing enforcement agencies information on illegal wildlife activities.

What good would it do if we keep providing information but no action is taken because state and federal agencies cannot work together?
Granted that there are matters which the state and federal agencies cannot see eye-to-eye but will the issue of jurisdiction be the end of the Belum-Temengor Forest and its inhabitants as armed foreign poachers continue to pillage our biodiversity?
Their intrusion also poses a threat to our national security?

Resource article: thesundaily.my