LONDON: One of the largest hauls of illegal ivory seen in the UK is found at Heathrow Airport.
The ivory weighs 110kg, which is more than a baby elephant, and includes tusks, carved bangles and beads.
It was found last month at Terminal 4 in baggage left abandoned in transit from Angola to Hanover, Germany.
Ivory trading is strictly controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and a permit is required by EU law.
The global trade in illegal wildlife products is said to be highly profitable.
It was denounced by the Duke of Cambridge on Chinese television in October.
Phil Douglas, the director of Border Force Heathrow, said: “This is one of the largest seizures of its kind made in the UK and it demonstrates the vigilance of our officers.
“The illicit trade in animal products like ivory is a serious contributory factor in the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species and that is why the rules around it are so strict.”
Alexander Rhodes, chief executive of the Stop Ivory Group, said: “Ivory represents dead elephants. Seizing illegal shipments of ivory is a grisly but essential business.
“Border Force and the NCA (National Crime Agency) should be congratulated on this major haul.”
The world’s largest illegal ivory haul was seized in Malaysia in 2012 – it included 1,500 tusks.
The NCA is investigating the Heathrow seizure.
