China banned ivory, but Vietnamese gangs keep the trade alive

Despite China's ban on ivory, Vietnamese criminal networks continue to facilitate the illegal trade. This summer, Vietnamese customs officials in Quy Nhon discovered nearly 1.2 tonnes of elephant ivory hidden within a timber shipment. The ivory had traveled approximately 9,000 nautical miles from the Congo River, with intermediate stops in Sri Lanka and Singapore. Port scanners alerted officials to the contraband by flagging hollow cavities in the timber, where the ivory was concealed with wax. This discovery highlights the ongoing challenges in combating international ivory smuggling.