Malaysian authorities say they have seized hundreds of African elephant tusks worth about $1.3-million that were being shipped to Cambodia.
Customs official Azis Yacub said inspectors at Port Klang harbour found the tusks hidden in containers of handicrafts from Kenya’s Mombasa port. The shipment was headed for Cambodia’s beach resort area of Sihanoukville.
Officials said on Tuesday they had no precise figure for the number of tusks, which weighed nearly two tonnes.
The seizure followed a tip-off on Monday. No arrests have been made.
Malaysia has stepped up inspections for illegal ivory after wildlife groups said the country was becoming a transshipment hub for tusks amid robust demand in China. — Sapa-AP