Custom Control officials in Vietnam’s Quảng Ninh Province have nabbed two pangolin traffickers and seized 220 kg of pangolins from a vehicle.
The pair was caught while entering the Bãi Cháy area of Hạ Long Bay. They were identified as Bui Van Nghiep and Le Thanh Nghi, both residents of Móng Cái, according to VietNamNews.vn.
Since the beginning of 2014, nearly four tons of pangolin scales and more than 1200 individual pangolins have been confiscated from wildlife traffickers across six Asian countries. At least four seizures, including this one, occurred in Vietnam.
Pangolins (including fetuses) and their scales are consumed in China, where the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine and the meat is eaten as a delicacy. However, there are no proven health benefits to consuming pangolin scales, which are comprised of keratin, the same as nails and hair.
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.