NAIROBI: Over 500 elephant tusks smuggled from Africa and destined for an Indochinese state were seized at a Thai port over the weekend.
A total of 511 tusks, weighing about three tons and valued at about six million U.S. dollars, had been allegedly smuggled out of Kenya and destined for Laos from where the contraband might probably be delivered to neighboring states, said Customs Department chief Somchai Satchapong on Monday.
The ivory pieces had been allegedly hidden among 11 tons of tea leaves inside containers aboard a cargo ship which had arrived at Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province on Saturday, police said.
More than 1,300 smuggled tusks had been seized as contrabands by Thai authorities so far this year, the police said.
Those who currently possess elephant tusks, which might be used as medicinal or aphrodisiac ingredient, were legally obliged to report to the authorities while those who might illegally trade in ivory pieces could be fined a maximum of 180,000 U.S. dollars or a maximum of three years in jail or both.
