Hong Kong seizes $3.4M in illegal African ivory
AP FILE PHOTO
HONG KONG—Hong Kong authorities have confiscated nearly four tons of ivory worth $3.4 million in their biggest ever seizure of endangered species products.
Customs officials said Saturday that they found the ivory tusks and ornaments in two containers shipped from Tanzania and Kenya after being tipped off by their counterparts in neighboring Guangdong province in mainland China.
In one container from Tanzania, customs officers found nearly 1,000 pieces of ivory tusks weighing more than 1,900 kilograms (4,188 pounds) as well as 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds) of ivory ornaments. They were hidden in bags of plastic scrap.
In the container from Kenya, officers found 237 pieces of ivory tusks weighing about 1,900 kilograms (4,188 pounds).
No one has been arrested.
The ivory seizure tops one in 2011 worth $2.2 million.
