Nearly 13 tons of pangolin scales were seized yesterday at the Pasir Panjang Export Inspection Station in a joint operation by Singapore Customs and the National Parks Board.
The packages were labeled as frozen beef in a 40-foot container bound from Nigeria to Vietnam.
When officers inspected the container they found 12.9 tons of pangolin scales in 230 bags, worth about US$38.7 million (approximately S$52.3 million), along with 177kg of elephant ivory worth roughly US$88,500 (approximately S$120,000).
According to a press release by the agencies, this was one of the biggest busts of illegal pangolin trafficking in recent years.
Pangolins are one of the most endangered species on earth and their scales – which are comprised entirely of keratin – are used as a panacea, especially in Vietnam and China.
Watch the Coconuts TV short documentary GUARDIANS OF THE PANGOLIN here:
RELATED:
Tipping the Scales?: HK authorities seize record 8.3 metric tons of pangolin scales
