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Philippine officials seize 3.5 tonnes of elephant tusks

Posted: Wednesday May 20, 2009 5:37 AM BT

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine customs authorities have seized an estimated 3.5 tonnes of elephant tusks from two containers sent from Tanzania, one of the largest such consignments found in the country, officials said on Wednesday.

"What kind of plastic materials does Tanzania produce?" he said. "We suspected right away that these were elephant tusks."

No one came to claim the consignment and there have been no arrests.

Officials said some of the tusks weighed as much as 25 kg each. They valued the consignment at over $2 million, although that appears to be a conservative estimate given that in some countries prices are at or above $1,500 per kg.

While there is an illegal market in the Philippines for religious icons made of ivory, officials suspect the tusks were bound for China, where there is thriving demand.

There, the tusks are mainly manufactured into chopsticks or mahjong chips.

Three years ago, about 6 tonnes of elephant tusks from Zambia were also seized in Manila's container port.

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