How 390 kg of ivory air shipmentwas detected

Customs forces organized to examine the violated exhibits (Photo courtesy by the Northern anti-smuggling Customs force)

To implement the direction of the National Steering Committee 389, the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Customs strengthening the fights against smuggling and trade fraud in the last months of 2016, the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department has been actively and positively monitoring the situation and focus on reviewing, analyzing and assessing the situation on each routeand key areas. Through monitoring situations, during the last month, trade and transportation of wildlife products, especially ivory has increased, with many complicated movements, focusing on aviation routes. The smugglersusually use methodand tricks to deliberately declare the false origin for the purpose of cleaning shipment routes(editting information on the loading port of lading), then takingadvantage of channelingforfast Customs clearancefor the suspected shipments.

The Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department has established an investigation and plan to fight the trading and transporting of wild animals activities through air routes. At the end ofSeptember, 2016,reconnaissance sources reported that there was anivory shipment from the port of Lagos, Nigeria toNoiBai, with information printed on the transporting documents as decorative stones. However, difficulties for the Customs forces areto identify which legal entity will be used forjudicialprocedures, and how to declare for shipment.

To clearly understand the mobility of the above shipment, leaders of the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department immediately conducted a reconnaissance force to approach andclosely monitor the warehouse containing the suspicious shipment. At the same time, appointed a reconnaissance group to check and analyze information of each flight, the starting points, transshipments, for traceability of each shipment.

After screening a number of suspicious shipments, to 8.30 am on 30th September, 2016, through the Customs operations information system, the scouts of the Anti-smuggling investigation Department identified that the GiaHuy Trade Services and Investment Co. Ltd. opened declarations for shipments with tracking number 60712573094 anddeclared that the goods are conveyor belts originating from Italy, with queuing point in Milan Malpensa (Italy). However, by reviewing and comparing on the lading bill of the shipment showed information as "Decorative stones" were loaded from the port of Lagos, Nigeria, as initial reconnaissance sources. Realizing that there are many abnormalities in the enterprise’sdeclaration, shipment information source coincides with theinitial reconnaissance source. The scouts closely monitored the suspicious shipment, on andconducted the necessary procedures to inspectand examine the shipment.

On 1st October, 2016,the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department in cooperation with the Customs Department of Ha Noi (The Customs Control Team, NoiBaiInternational Airport Customs Branch) conducted to examine the above shipment. Opening 4 packages of the above shipment, Customs forces found that, inside the sacks covering these 4 packages, there was a sponge and nylon layer that covered anreinforced iron barrel with metal wire and iron lock. Conducting to cut this reinforced metal wire and unlock the iron barrels, the forces discovered the animal products (suspected as ivory) inside these iron barrels.

When opening the barrels to examine, Mr. Dang Tat The - anExaminer from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, the appointed agency by the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department for assessment. The on-site assessment results affirmed that, the above animal productswereivory.

The forces have examined, classified and separated the sacks, sponge and nylon before washing and numbering for each piece of ivory, then take samples to analyze DNA molecules to determine the species. After that, the goods werebrought back to 4 barrels and put theCustoms seals on. As a result, the 4 above barrels contained 213 piecesof ivory, with a total weight of 309kg.

On 3rd October, 2016, exchange with reporters from the Customs Newspaper, leaders of the Northern Anti-smuggling Control Team (Team 1, Department of anti-smuggling Investigation) said, based on the information on the system, Customs forces have conducted to verify the address on the waybill and found that the address of the GiaHuy Trade Services and Investment Co. Ltd. does not exist. Currently, Customs forces are keeping investigation and finding owners theivory.

The Anti-smuggling InvestigationDepartment is continuing to investigate the case while expanding to investigate to thosewho trade and transport wildlifeshipments on the air routes.