Customs officers deliver HK$62 million blow to smugglers after seizing container on its way to mainland China full of ivory and pangolin scales sent from Nigeria

More than HK$62 million worth of elephant tusks and pangolin scales have been confiscated by Hong Kong customs from a shipping container that arrived from Africa this month.

The illegal wildlife products were believed to be destined for mainland China, for use in traditional medicine and high-end sculptures.

The haul included more than 8.2 tonnes of scales believed to have come from thousands of endangered pangolins, with an estimated street value of HK$42 million. It was the biggest seizure of pangolin scales, by value and weight, ever in the city, the Customs and Excise Department said.

The operation also came amid increasing seizures of wildlife products last year with the quantities seized increasing more than threefold to 270,000kg.

The scales were found along with more than 1,000 tusks, which weighed about two tonnes. Worth more than HK$20 million, the tusks were the largest haul of ivory since a record HK$70 million ivory seizure in 2017.

One source said ivory could be bought for HK$2,300 per kilogram in Africa, but it cost as much as HK$70,000 per kilogram on mainland China.

He said a single ivory tusk, that normally weighs more than 20kg, could be sold for more than HK$1.4 million.

Pangolin scales are worth about HK$230 per kilogram in Africa but can be sold for HK$5,800 per kilogram on mainland China.

According to the department, customs officers uncovered the shipment from Nigeria after receiving intelligence from mainland authorities.

They inspected a refrigerated container, said to be carrying frozen meat from Nigeria, in mid-January, and found the tusks and scales inside.

Two Hongkongers – a man and a woman – were arrested in connection with the case. The man runs a local trading company and the woman is his employee.

The two suspects were picked up at their Mong Kok office about 10 days ago. They have been released on bail pending further investigation.

The Post has learned the contraband was not for local consumption and was probably bound for mainland China.

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Customs officers confiscated more than 17 tonnes of the scales in 2018, twice the amount local authorities seized in 2017. The previous record seizure of 7.3 tonnes of scales came in July 2016. That shipment also came from Nigeria.

Africa is one of the main sources of pangolin shipments. Among the seizures in 2018, customs officers seized three separate shipments from Nigeria, involving a total of 11.7 tonnes of pangolin scales.

The source said it was possible this month’s haul was intended to supplement the underground market after the seizures in 2018.

“The price of the scales [seized in the latest operation] is much higher because the scales are bigger in size,” he said. The scales cost more than HK$5,100 per kilogram, but the product in low grade can be bought for as little as HK$580 per kilogram.

Pangolins are believed to have medicinal properties. Products derived from the animal are thought to reduce swelling and increase lactation and blood circulation.

In 2018, local authorities seized hundreds of kilograms of ivory. The city’s record ivory seizure was made in July 2017 when 7.2 tonnes of ivory tusks worth HK$72 million were found hidden in a container which had arrived from Malaysia.

Overall, 270,000kg of endangered species were found trafficked to the city in 745 cases last year with the number of cases up by 72 per cent. Customs officers arrested 528 people.

Despite the large seizures of wildlife products in recent years, a government source said there was no evidence Hong Kong was a trafficking hub.

“The seizures have demonstrated our capability and determination to fight against such smuggling activities,” he said. “Our enforcement action has deterred smuggling syndicates from attempting to use the city as their trafficking transit centre.”

He said Hong Kong was not the final destination for such goods and it was just one of the stops along the smuggling routes.

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“The main operation of the smuggling syndicates is not in Hong Kong, and in most of the cases Hong Kong is only involved in arranging the logistics for the cargo,” the source said.

He added that seizures struck a blow to these syndicates, as local authorities confiscated the goods and they suffered heavy financial losses.

On Monday, the Post reported that no one had been prosecuted in connection with the city’s largest ivory seizure, in July 2017. This sparked concerns from experts, who called on local authorities to put more money into investigations.

Customs Commissioner Hermes Tang Yi-hoi said on Thursday customs had worked hard with other relevant departments to protect endangered species and disagreed that the prosecution rate was low.

“With regard to prosecutions, we need to produce sufficient evidence to substantiate charges for offenders. This is rule of law that has guided us throughout the years,” Tang said.

Additional reporting by Christy Leung

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Campaign Launched to Encourage Tourists Not to Buy Ivory

China implementing a full ban on the commercial sale of ivory more than a year ago was a major victory to celebrate. However, conservationists have found that while it’s been effective in reducing the trade, tourists are still buying ivory products in neighboring countries.

In response, China Customs and the National Forestry and Grasslands Administration (NFGA) have partnered up with WildAid and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to launch a public awareness campaign to encourage travelers not to buy ivory souvenirs.

According to WWF, the campaign is part of a three-year initiative by China Customs to increase border security and stop the import of illegal wildlife products, and will appear in public media and customs entry and exit points at airports, train stations and border crossings to remind people that it’s illegal to bring ivory into the country with them, and raise awareness about the negative impact the trade is having on elephants.

“WWF’s goal is to reach Chinese travelers who have the means to buy ivory and access to it in popular destinations where ivory can still be found,” said Jan Vertefeuille, senior director for advocacy at WWF. “This campaign is the kind of collaboration we need between government agencies and conservation groups to get the word out that ivory is illegal to bring home and it’s not socially acceptable.”

So far, the ban, which went into effect December 31, 2017, has been successful in reducing the demand, but there’s still more to be done to end the trade in ivory. In September 2018, a survey released by TRAFFIC and WWF found that respondents’ intention to buy ivory had dropped by more than half since that ban went into effect.

“We are seeing some positive trends in post ivory ban China that indicate the new legislative changes may be yielding positive results. But persisting demand and a lack of awareness among consumers in some parts of the country as well as weak spots with insufficient regulation and enforcement means we need to redouble efforts in strengthening these areas,” Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife Practice Leader said at the time.

Unfortunately, the survey also showed that 18 percent of Chinese travelers were also still buying ivory on trips abroad, particularly on trips to Thailand and Hong Kong, while another investigation conducted by Save the Elephants found that other destinations, such as Laos, were still selling new ivory items to meet the demand.

Hopefully this public awareness campaign, along with meaningful enforcement, will make China’s ivory ban even more successful.

“WildAid brings decades of experience delivering high-impact media campaigns to protect wildlife to this partnership,” said Peter Knights, CEO of WildAid. “We’ve seen how these campaigns generate results in increased awareness and reduced consumption of wildlife products such as shark fin. This message with Huang Xuan will reach tens of millions of people, and will help build on the recent momentum to end the devastation caused by ivory consumption.”

With thousands of elephants still being senselessly killed every year for nothing more than their tusks, every effort to reduce the demand for ivory to end this bloody trade once and for all is a positive step forward.

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China needs zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trade

Kenyan authorities have detained three Chinese nationals and a local man over alleged illegal possession of wildlife products, according to the Associated Press on January 9. Their behavior not only violated Kenya's local law, but also harmed China's national image. They deserve punishment.

This case is not an only one. In December 2018, seven Chinese people were arrested in Zimbabwe after they were allegedly found in possession of rhino horns, according to Voice of America. Although these are a very few people's unlawful activities, they should draw more people's attention.

Only one day after detention, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya published an article on its official website, reminding Chinese citizens not to buy, sell or carry ivory products. In January 2018, the Chinese Embassy in Namibia also reminded Chinese citizens to keep away from ivory and other illegal wildlife products.

Chinese embassies have cautioned Chinese citizens repeatedly, which shows the Chinese government's firm stand in cracking down on the ivory trade.

We do need to rethink the question profoundly. We must understand that Chinese poachers have brought many negative impacts on the nation's reputation. Consequently, China should better control such illegal behavior. Meanwhile, China should involve more citizens in protecting elephants and other wildlife at home and abroad.

China is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. On January 1, 2018, China imposed a total ban on all trade in ivory. The ban reflects China's efforts in protecting wildlife as a responsible major country. It has also led to a great decline in seizures of ivory entering China as well as in raw ivory prices.

At many international airports in China, people can see basketball star Yao Ming on posters that advocate wildlife protection. Yao also participated in filming effective videos for Chinese people. But this is a long-term task. We must firmly break China's trafficking chain, and all departments concerned should promote more cooperation in conversation with other countries. China must take a zero-tolerance approach.

None of us is isolated on this planet, and we are all part of the ecosphere. This is also the spirit of a community of a shared future for mankind. As the host country of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2020, the nation and its people will shoulder this responsibility.

As China is promoting the Belt and Road initiative, more and more Chinese people are going abroad and doing business abroad. This is supposed to be reciprocal cooperation. However, it seems unavoidable that some Chinese people violate the local laws due to a lack of awareness. Others are reckless with greed and choose to rush into danger. The Chinese government has the responsibility to coordinate with all parties and work harder in introducing local laws and internationally accepted regulations for these people. China should more positively clarify its position. China-Africa cooperation is now moving forward, and we should try to eliminate the negative influence brought on by a very few people's illegal practice.

We should regard nature with reverence. Since we can't control every single individual's behavior, stricter control and a detailed introduction to local laws may be the best explanation for reverence, as well as a practical way to build China's national image.

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Cameroon Investigates Illegal Ivory, Pangolin Scales Bound for China

DOUALA, CAMEROON —

Law enforcement officials in Cameroon say investigations continue following a large discovery of illegal wildlife products hidden in shipping containers bound for China.

At least 1,000 kilograms of pangolin scales and several hundred elephant tusks were found April 6, in containers of cocoa that were to be transported to China from the Douala international airport.

Officials have not yet determined the country of origin for the contraband. Poaching of elephants and pangolins remains a problem in Cameroon; however, the country has also served as a regional hub for smugglers.

Didier Ngono, an official from the wildlife department, told VOA that three Chinese nationals have been arrested and will help police with their investigation.

Ngono says that under the law, the penalties for smuggling include fines ranging from $6,000 to $20,000 and prison sentences of between one and three years.

Cameroon has intercepted and destroyed at least two other large shipments of pangolin scales bound for Asian countries in the past two years.

Eric Kaba Tah, an official with The Last Great Ape, a nongovernmental organization that helps Cameroon enforce wildlife laws, says enforcement mechanisms remain weak.

"In 2016, two Chinese traffickers were arrested with five tons of pangolin scales that were about to be illegally exported from the country to China," Tah said. "They were given three months' imprisonment from … the one-year minimum imprisonment they were supposed to get, and this is why we are very dissatisfied. They should be given punishment that is commensurate to their crimes."

Both pangolins and elephants are considered critically endangered. International trade in pangolin and ivory is banned, yet consumer demand remains high in Asian countries, fueling the illegal market. Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and the scales are used in traditional medicine.

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