XIAMEN: Chinese Customs has smashed two smuggling rings responsible for illegally importing almost 12 tons of elephant tusks worth 603 million yuan (US$98.8 million) in the biggest smuggling case China’s Customs has cracked in recent years.
In the first case, a Fujian native man surnamed Chen, coordinated a transcontinental smuggling ring between China and Africa in order to meet increasing demand beyond the fixed annual import limit set for his licensed ivory shop.
Chen’s group has been known to Xiamen customs since 2011. In August this year, several members were arrested and almost 2,000 kilograms of ivory were seized.
Xiamen customs said Chen’s gang smuggled a total of 2,154 tusks, 7.68 tons worth 378 million Yuan. In 2012, a court sentenced Chen to 15 years in prison. The other two members of the ring were also jailed, one for 15 years and another for 7 years.
