Hangzhou customs seizes ivory in crackdown

HANGZHOU -- Customs personnel in East China have seized more than 270 kg of ivory in a crackdown against endangered animal smuggling since June 2014.

The Hangzhou Customs in the capital city of Zhejiang province said they discovered 8.68 kg of tusks packed among wine bottles and chocolate boxes in the suitcase of a woman with the surname Wang in September 2014.

Records later found on Wang's computer suggest that the woman had smuggled more than 220 kg of ivory and 9 kg of rhinoceros horns during multiple entries.

In a separate case, a couple in Zhejiang's Ningbo city were found to have smuggled more than 50 kg of tusks.

Zhang Jiping, an official with Hangzhou Customs, said they will continue to crack down on smuggling wildlife products.

China has intensified efforts against illegal wildlife trafficking. On Friday, the Chinese government destroyed 662 kg of confiscated ivory in Beijing.