Malaysia seizes million-dollar ivory shipment

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Malaysia seizes million-dollar ivory shipment

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Malaysia has seized elephant tusks and ivory handicrafts worth an estimated four million ringgit.

13 December,2011 02:08 pm

Malaysia has seized elephant tusks and ivory handicrafts worth an estimated four million ringgit ($1.3 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, Malaysias 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 containers 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.