HONG KONG: On Saturday, Hong Kong customs officials seized about 26 kilos of suspected ivory carvings at the Hong Kong airport.
The ivory was found in the carry-on luggage of a male passenger arriving from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Dubai, UAE. The man, aged 27, was arrested under suspicion of importing an endangered species.
The man was intercepted while he was clearing customs, with officers finding the ivory products concealed inside two tailor-made vests found inside his carry-on luggage.
The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for follow-up investigation.
Last month, another man arriving from Abidjan was arrested after Hong Kong customs found 10 kilos of ivory tusks in his check-in luggage.
In January, Chief Executive CY Leung announced that the city would ban the import and export of ivory.
