Cambodia seizes 3 tons trafficked ivory tusks at sea port

Cambodian customs officers on Friday morning confiscated around three tons of elephant tusks at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Southwestern Preah Sihanouk province.

Bun Chhiv, deputy chief of customs office at the port, told Xinhua, "It is the largest-ever confiscation of elephant tusks in Cambodia."

"The tusks were placed in 108 sacks and hidden in a bean-loaded container, which was imported from a country," said the official.

He declined to identify the country.

"Cambodia is just a transit point and the tusks were destined for a third country, possibly Vietnam," he said.

The recovery came after the container went through a container scanner at the port, said the official, adding that an investigation is underway in order to find out the traffickers.

It was for the third time in recent past that Cambodia has seized ivory tasks.

In February, customs officers nabbed two Vietnamese men at the Siem Reap International Airport for smuggling 79.5 kg of illegal elephant tusks and in the following month, 263 kg of ivory tusks were seized in eastern Svay Rieng province bordering Vietnam.

The market price of ivory is over 2,200 U.S. dollars per kg and has more than doubled in the last five years, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Endi