Spanish police seize illegal ivory in Madrid home

Spanish police on Thursday said they seized 74 elephant tusks from a home in Madrid.

The tusks, which weigh a total of 744 kg and have a reported value of around 240,000 U.S. dollars, come from the endangered African bush elephant Loxodonta Africana, a species whose numbers have been severely hit by illegal hunting and which is protected by an agreement signed by 179 countries.

The joint investigation with authorities from Mozambique began in March after suspicions were aroused when Spanish officials were informed by trade inspectors that someone was attempting to legalize the sale of the 74 tusks.

The person, who has not been named, said the tusks were an inheritance and dated back to the 1970s, while attempting to back this up with the relevant hunting permit.

Spanish police and Mozambique authorities discovered the permit was from 2016 and allowed for the killing of just one elephant and not the 37 needed to supply 74 tusks.

The Spanish Civil Guard seized the tusks and has charged the person responsible with smuggling, falsifying documents and offences against endangered species.

In a statement, the Civil Guard said the seizure "contributes to reducing the poaching of species for international trade," adding that the investigation shows "the illegal trafficking of protected, wild animals, considered by the proper authorities to be the third biggest illegal criminal activity worldwide."

Trafficking in protected animals is worth an estimated 8-20 billion euros (8.94-22.36 billion U.S. dollars) per year, police said. Enditem