Singapore seizes 8.8 tonnes of ivory in record haul

Singapore said on Tuesday it had seized 8.8 tonnes of ivory that came from an estimated 300 elephants in a record haul by authorities in the city-state.

The elephant ivory, estimated to be worth $12.9 million, was headed to Vietnam through Singapore from Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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

It brought the total haul of pangolin scales since April to 37.5 tonnes, worth $112.5m.

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 organisation 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.

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 animals dropped from millions in the mid-20th century to about 600,000 by the end of the 1980s.