WALTER BIERI/KEYSTONE/ASSOCIATED PRESSSwiss customs have seized 578 pounds of ivory, destined for China.
Customs officials intercepted the package during a security check. The ivory had been packed in to eight suitcases, and had been sent by three Chinese men from Tanzania to Beijing, via Zurich.
WALTER BIERI/KEYSTONE/ASSOCIATED PRESSSwiss authorities claim the 578 pounds of ivory may have come from up to 50 elephants, and they put the estimated black market value at about $413,000.
They also found lion fangs and claws in the suitcases.
WALTER BIERI/KEYSTONE/ASSOCIATED PRESSIncreased demand for ivory from China’s middle-class has helped fuel the poaching epidemic in Africa.
The Chinese men were detained and questioned, and may face large fines for violating customs and animal protection rules.
