JAKARTA, Nov 19 — Authorities in Singapore have foiled an attempt to smuggle 20 rhinoceros horns weighing 35.7 kilogrammes through Changi Airport today, marking the country’s largest seizure of its kind to date, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The white rhinoceros horns seized on November 8 were found in a shipment heading for Laos marked as “Furniture Fittings”, which air cargo handler SATS flagged as suspicious due to a strong smell coming from the package, Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks) said in a statement.
The horns have an estimated value of about US$870,000 (about RM3.61 million), according to the statement.
NParks said that “around 150 kg of other animal parts were uncovered and seized.” This included bones, teeth and claws of animals yet to be identified.
White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) are classified as a near-threatened species by the WWF.
Rhino parts are popular ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine.
Trade of rhino horns is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Singapore is a party.
“Illegal wildlife trade threatens the survival of endangered species, driving habitat destruction and biodiversity loss on a global scale,” said NParks senior director of wildlife trade Anna Wong.
The previous record for Singapore’s largest seizure of rhino horns was in 2022, when 20 pieces weighing a total of 34.7 kg were seized.
The owner of the bags in which the horns were found was sentenced to two years in prison in 2024. — Bernama