The rhino horns were shipped by a sender in South Africa on a Qatar Airways flight coded QR 8954 to an individual in Hanoi’s outskirts district of Soc Son and arrived at the airport on October 4.
The sender on the bill of lading was a South Africa-based company called EXQUISITE GLOBAL SIPPING& LOGISTICS SUITE 101 KEMPTON PARK JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRA and the consignee was Truong Van Nam in Hanoi’s Soc Son district, who refused to pick up the package.
On the morning of October 8, with the witness of warehouse representatives, Qatar Airways and related people, the competent agencies opened the package and found 13 rhino horns. The authorised agencies are still collecting samples of the specimens to specify the weight and type of the rhino horns in the package.
Vietnamese customs agencies have increased their inspections over illegal wildlife products as part of its commitment to a conservation treaty, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
This was the second case of illegal wildlife products detected and seized at Noi Bai Airport after a seizure in early September.
On September 29, customs officials seized nearly one tonne of elephant ivory and pangolins shipped from Nigeria to Noi Bai Airport.
