Record haul of pangolin scales seized along with hundreds of ivory tusks in Hong Kong

Smugglers kept temperature in container low to disguise smell of illicit cargo

Elephant tusks weighing more than two metric tons and over eight metric tons of pangolin scales are displayed at a Hong Kong Customs press briefing (EPA/ALEX HOFFORD)

A record 8.3 tons of pangolin scales and more than 1,000 ivory tusks have been intercepted by Hong Kong customs officers.

The value of the seized goods, which equates to around 500 elephants and up to 13,000 pangolins, was over HK$62m (£6m), officials said on Friday.

Acting on a tip from mainland Chinese authorities, officials seized the haul in mid-January in a refrigerated container labelled as frozen meat from Nigeria bound for Vietnam.

They said the smugglers kept the temperature low to better disguise the smell of the illicit cargo.

Police arrested two people in connection with the seizure. Officials said it was also one of the largest seizures of ivory in a decade.

Ivory tusks and pangolin scales seized by Hong Kong Customs (REUTERS)

Yueng Ka-yan, head of command at Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department, said the smugglers used a new method to hide the endangered species by a process of “solidification” where they used ice bags and frozen meat to obscure the species.

“The low temperature environment created by the ice bags and frozen meat helped mask the distinctive smell of the pangolin scales.”

Scales of the anteater-like pangolin have been highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.

The scales, made of keratin akin to fingernails, are often roasted and ground to a powder before being added into a mix of ingredients to purportedly cure arthritis, promote breast feeding for mothers and boost male virility.

Scientists have designated all species of pangolins as being at risk of extinction.

In the last two decades, the number of pangolins worldwide has dropped by about 90 per cent.

Ivory tusks are a cherished decorative craft material in Asia, resulting in the devastation of wild elephant populations in Africa.