Cambodia seizes over 3.2 tons of trafficked elephant tusks at city port

Phnom Penh, Dec 15 (UNI) Cambodian authorities have seized more than 3.2 tons of trafficked
elephant tusks at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, a senior customs official said on Saturday.

The ivory tusks were found on Thursday hidden in an abandoned container that had sat
unopened at the port since July, said Sun Chhay, director of the Customs and Excise Office at the
Phnom Penh Autonomous Port.

"A total of 1,026 pieces of elephant tusks, weighing 3,230 kg, was found when the authorities
decided to open the container on Dec. 13," he told Xinhua.

The smugglers were likely to abandon the illegal goods after they suspected that the authorities
were waiting for them, he said, adding that the ivory tusks had been imported from the southern
African nation of Mozambique.

"Cambodia is just a transit point and the elephant tusks are destined for a third country," he
said, adding that he did not know the intended destination of the illegal ivory.

Large hauls of smuggled wildlife goods are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian nation in
recent years.

In May 2014, the country seized three tons of ivory at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in
Southwestern Preah Sihanouk province, and, in Dec. 2016, confiscated another 1.58 tons of
elephant ivory, tiger bones and pangolin scales hidden in hollowed-out logs imported from
Mozambique.

Also, in Dec. last year, the authorities seized 941 kg of elephant tusks concealed in timbers inside
three containers, which was also imported from Mozambique.
UNI XC JW1558

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