3 tonnes of ivory seized in Vietnam

Hanoi (Vietnam): Vietnamese authorities have seized nearly three tonnes of ivory hidden among boxes of fruit, officials said on Sunday, the latest haul to spotlight the country’s key role in the global wildlife smuggling trade. Police in the central province of Thanh Hoa found 2.7 tonnes of tusks inside cartons on the back of a truck that was on its way to Hanoi, according to a report on their website. “This is the largest seizure of smuggled ivory ever in Thanh Hoa province,” the report said. State media said the elephant tusks originated from South Africa. The truck driver claimed he was unaware of what he was transporting, a report in Tuoi Tre newspaper said.