Largest ivory haul from DR Congo seized in Singapore

Singapore announced on Tuesday that it had made a record seizure of 8.8 tonnes of elephant ivory.

According to conservation groups, the city-state has become a transit point for illegal wildlife trade.

Elephant ivory, estimated at $12.9 million, came from 300 African elephants in the Democratic Republic of Congo and headed to Vietnam.

The seizure of ivory reached just under 9.1 tonnes in Vietnam in March, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency, an NGO.

Singapore is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES).

The Asian nation also declares its solidarity with global efforts to combat illegal trade in wildlife.

It could be recalled that Singaporean authorities also made the third major seizure of 11.9 tonnes of pangolin scales, worth approximately $35.7 million this year.

Reuters