Thais seize half ton of ivory smuggled from Kenya

Published November 20, 2014

Thai customs officials have seized half a ton of ivory at Bangkok's international airport.

The ivory was discovered Friday hidden in crates aboard a flight from Kenya. Customs officials displayed the 456-kilogram (1,000-pound) haul on Tuesday. One official estimated that the 158 pieces of ivory were from the tusks of around 50 elephants.

The officials said they acted on a tip-off to seize the ivory, which was in six crates labeled as handicrafts. No arrests have been made.

Ivory shipped to Thailand typically is used to make Buddhist carvings or jewelry. Thailand is also a transit point for other markets, including China.

The international trade in ivory was banned in 1989 to prevent the poaching of elephants.

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