July 23 (UPI) -- Authorities in Singapore on Tuesday announced the largest seizure of elephant ivory in the country to date, along with the third-largest seizure of pangolin scales.
The seizure included 11.9 tons of pangolin scales from about 2,000 pangolins, worth an estimated $35.7 million and 8.8 tons of elephant ivory from about 300 elephants, worth an estimated $12.9 million, Singapore's National Parks Board announced.
The scales and ivory were discovered Sunday when the National Parks Board, Singapore Customs, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority inspected a shipment of three containers from the Democratic Republic of Congo being shipped through the country to Vietnam that were said to contain timber.
Upon inspection, one of the containers was found to contain 237 bags of pangolin scales and 132 bags of elephant ivory.
"These latest seizures are testament to Singapore's commitment to the global effort to stem illegal trade in CITES-listed species, including their parts and derivatives," the board said. "The seized pangolin scales and elephant ivory will be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market."
