Singapore seizes record haul of ivory alongside pangolin scales in S$66m shipment

Channel NewsAsia 23 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE: Singapore authorities on Sunday (Jul 21) seized S$66.2 million worth of elephant ivory and pangolin scales after they intercepted a transshipment bound for Vietnam.

Officials found 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales and 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory in a container from the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the National Parks Board, Singapore Customs and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority in a joint release on Tuesday.

The container was part of a shipment of three being transhipped through Singapore to Vietnam, and had been declared as timber.

However "upon inspection, sacks containing pangolin scales and elephant ivory were found in one of the containers", said the news release.

Packed into 132 bags were 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory estimated to be worth US$12.9 million (S$17.6 million) - the largest seizure of elephant ivory in Singapore to date, according to the release.

About 300 African elephants were killed for this shipment.

The shipment also contained 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, which were packed into 237 bags. They are estimated to be worth about US$35.7 million and came from 2,000 pangolins, the release said.

The scales came from the Giant Pangolin, which is native to Africa. The species is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Sunday's haul marks the third major seizure of pangolin scales in Singapore this year. Since April this year, the authorities have seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales.

In April, Singapore also seized 177kg of cut up and carved elephant ivory worth US$88,500.

"These latest seizures are testament to Singapore’s commitment to the global effort to stem illegal trade in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)-listed species, including their parts and derivatives," said the news release.

"The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market."

Both pangolins and elephants are protected species and international trade in elephant ivory and pangolins is not allowed. They are poached and traded for ornamental and medicinal uses.

Under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act, the maximum penalty for illegal import, export and re-export of wildlife is a fine of up to S$500,000 and/or two years’ imprisonment.

The same penalties apply to transit or transshipment of CITES-listed species of wildlife, including their parts and derivatives.

Source: CNA/nc(aj)


Record shipment of illegal ivory seized, along with pangolin scales, worth over S$66 million in total
JUSTIN GUANG-XI ONG Today Online 23 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE — Close to 12 tonnes of pangolin scales and a record 8.8 tonnes of ivory were seized by the authorities here, estimated to be worth a total of US$48.6 million (about S$66 million).

It is the largest seizure of elephant ivory in Singapore to date and the third major one for pangolin scales since April.

The shipment was seized on Sunday (July 21) at Singapore Customs’ Pasir Panjang export inspection station, during a check on three containers said to contain timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo passing through Singapore on the way to Vietnam.

In a media release on Tuesday, the National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore Customs, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that sacks containing pangolin scales and elephant ivory were found in one of the containers.

The pangolin scales, packed in 237 bags, were valued at US$35.7 million. They were assessed to be from 2,000 giant pangolins (Smutsia gigantea) native to Africa.

The elephant ivory, found in 132 bags, was gauged to be worth US$12.9 million. They were estimated to have come from about 300 African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

So far, Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales since April, the authorities said.

For ivory, the last haul was 177kg of these cut-up and carved parts seized in April.

The pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market, the authorities said, adding that they acted on a tip-off from China’s customs.

The pangolin — a nocturnal insectivore with a full armour of scales — is said to be one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, and is a vulnerable species.

Its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China, but its scales — used in traditional Chinese medicine — are in higher demand, though its benefits have no scientific basis.

“Elephants and pangolins are protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), and international trade in elephant ivory and pangolin is prohibited,” ICA, NParks and Singapore Customs said.

“Singapore is a signatory to Cites and is committed to international efforts to curb illegal trade in Cites-listed species.”

Under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act, the maximum penalty for illegal import, export and re-export of wildlife is a maximum fine of S$500,000 and up to two years’ jail, or both.

The same penalties apply to the transit or transhipment of species of wildlife listed under Cites, including their parts and derivatives.

Record haul of elephant ivory seized in Singapore, with pangolin scales, worth over $66m in total
Vanessa Liu Straits Times 23 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE - A record 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory was seized from three containers on Sunday night (July 21) in what is believed to be one of the largest seizures that the world has seen in recent years.

The ivory is estimated to have come from nearly 300 African elephants. Just three months earlier in April, Singapore seized 177kg of cut-up and carved elephant ivory.

Alongside the record ivory haul, 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales were also confiscated in the operation. It was the third shipment to be intercepted this year, said the National Parks Board (NParks), Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a joint statement.

The containers, which were en route from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Vietnam, were declared as containing "timber" but were found to contain pangolin scales estimated to be worth about $48.6 million, alongside $17.6 million worth of elephant ivory, when they were inspected by the authorities.

In April, two large shipments of pangolin scales - both bound for Vietnam from Nigeria - were intercepted by the local authorities within a week of each other. They were found to contain 12.9 tonnes and 12.7 tonnes of scales respectively.

With this seizure, Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales since April.

The shipments were believed to be two of the largest single hauls the world has seen in recent years. The last one on record was in China, where 11.9 tonnes of scales were seized in 2017.

An estimated 2,000 giant pangolins (Smutsia gigantea) are believed to have been killed for the scales confiscated in the latest shipment.

The agencies said China's General Administration of Customs had shared information that enabled the successful seizure at Singapore's Pasir Panjang Export Inspection Station.

"The Singapore Government adopts a zero-tolerance stance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts and derivatives. Our agencies will continue to collaborate and maintain vigilance to tackle the illegal wildlife trade," they added.

Native to Asia and Africa, the ant-eating pangolin is the only mammal covered in scales and curls into a ball to defend itself from predators.

Pangolin scales, which are made of keratin, are in demand in Asia for use in traditional Chinese medicine despite there being no proven medicinal benefit from their use. Pangolin meat is also considered a delicacy in some cultures.

Experts who spoke to The Straits Times about the earlier seizures had said the large quantities of pangolins involved in the shipments pointed strongly to the involvement of criminal networks.

Ms Bridget Connelly, an analyst conducting research on wildlife trafficking with C4ADS - a non-profit based in the United States - told The Straits Times that only a trafficker with a significant source of funds can bear the financial risk of consolidating the animal parts from poachers and middlemen, and exporting them.

She added: "Wildlife trafficking is most efficient and cost-effective when it is done at scale. The poacher isn't going to have the means to ship the product to Asia, nor is the middleman, who may collect from several poachers."

The pangolin is believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal. There are eight species of pangolin, all of which are considered threatened with extinction on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

According to experts, over a million pangolins were taken from the wild between 2000 and 2013. Current populations of pangolins in Asia are thought to be low enough that traffickers have turned to African regions to feed the demand.

The Singapore authorities also intercepted the shipping of pangolin scales in Singapore in 2015 and 2016.

Ms Connelly pointed out that a key problem in stopping illegal wildlife trade was the lack of detection or, when detection occurred, the lack of sufficient penalties to deter traffickers.

"Often, even if wildlife traders are arrested, they will have minimal sentences or relatively small fines. Because of the high reward and low risk, the wildlife trade has continued to flourish," she said.

Singapore is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

Under local laws - the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act - the penalty for the illegal import, export and re-export of wildlife is a fine of up to $500,000 and may include two years' imprisonment.

Earlier this month, an international operation involving the police in 109 countries saw thousands of wild animals seized in a crackdown on illegal wildlife trade. Operation Thunderball, based in Singapore, was the third such Interpol mission in recent years aimed at transnational crime networks.

Ms Connelly said Singapore plays a significant role in international maritime trade routes and is heavily exposed to networks using its port to traffic wildlife products.

She said: "Because wildlife traffickers operate across jurisdictions, collaboration among international, regional and local actors at every stage in the supply chain is crucial to understanding and effectively disrupting the networks.

"When a seizure is made, it is important that consignee and consignor information is shared with the authorities in both the origin and destination jurisdictions as to more effectively prevent such shipments from being successful in the future."

The agencies said that the animal parts will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market.

Singapore seizes ivory from nearly 300 elephants in record haul
Reuters 23 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore said on Tuesday it had seized 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory, a record haul by authorities in the city-state, which conservation groups say is a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade.

The elephant ivory, estimated to be worth $12.9 million, came from nearly 300 African elephants, and was heading to Vietnam through Singapore from Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The haul also contained the third major seizure of pangolin scales in Singapore this year.

The pangolin, a scaly anteater, is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. Its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China, and the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine, though the benefits are disputed by medical scientists.

“The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market,” the Singapore Customs, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the National Parks Board said, adding that the July 21 seizure came after a tip-off from China’s customs department.

The ivory haul falls just short of 9.1 tonnes seizure in Vietnam in March, which non-government organization Environmental Investigation Agency said was thought to be the largest ever globally.

There has been a flurry of seizures, including of rhino horns, in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam in recent months.

“Singapore has always been inadvertently implicated in the global ivory trade for two reasons: its global connectivity, as well as the presence of a small domestic market where pre-1990s ivory can be legally sold,” said Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore.

“The consistency of these large-scale seizures is strong evidence of organized crime behind illegal wildlife trade coming through or into Singapore.”

Singapore authorities said the latest seizure also contained 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth about $35.7 million and equivalent to close to 2,000 pangolins.

Slideshow (2 Images)
Singapore has seized a total of 37.5 tonnes of pangolin scales since April, including one raid which was the biggest of its kind worldwide in five years.

The city-state is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and says it is committed to the global effort to curb the illegal wildlife trade.

Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan and John Geddie; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

Singapore makes its biggest ever illegal ivory seizure
AFP 23 Jul 19;

Singapore has made its largest ever seizure of smuggled ivory, impounding a haul of nearly nine tonnes of contraband tusks from an estimated 300 elephants, authorities said Tuesday.

The illegal cargo, discovered Monday in a container from the Democratic Republic of the Congo being shipped to Vietnam via Singapore, also included a huge stash of pangolin scales -- the third such seizure in as many months.

Officials said both the ivory and pangolin scales were in a container declared to be loaded with timber destined for Vietnam and passing through Singapore, a major transhipment hub for global trade.

On inspection, authorities found 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory, the National Parks Board, Customs and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said in a joint statement.

The ivory haul was valued at $12.9 million and is "the largest seizure of elephant ivory in Singapore to date", it said, and was estimated to have come from 300 African elephants.

Also found in the container were 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales and estimated to be worth about $35.7 million. The scales were estimated to have come from 2,000 of the mammals.

It was the third interception by Singapore of smuggled pangolin scales since April and brought the total haul in just three months to 37.5 tonnes worth $112.5 million.

Singapore said the seized items would be destroyed.

Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are critically endangered. They are the world's most trafficked mammals because of their meat, which is considered a delicacy, and their scales, which some believe to have medicinal qualities.

Elephant ivory is coveted because it can be fashioned into items like combs, pendants and other exotic jewellery.

The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after the population of the African giants dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to around 600,000 by the end of the 1980s.