Nearly 3 and a half million dollars in illegal African ivory has been confiscated by customs officials in Hong Kong.
More than 12-hundred tusks and nearly 1.5 kilos of ivory ornaments were seized in a joint anti-smuggling operation.
Weighing in at nearly 4 tonnes, it's the largest seizure of ivory ever for the port.
Depite a long history of ivory importing, manufacturing and consumption in mainland China and in Hong Kong, customs officials downplayed the confiscation.
(SOUNDBITE)(Cantonese) HEAD OF HONG KONG PORTS AND MARITIME COMMAND, LAM TAK-FAI, SAYING:
"Hong Kong is not a major centre for this kind of illegal ivory smuggling. It is an isolated incident. The shipment was not destined for Hong Kong but was intercepted on its route."
The containers filled wih the ivory were declared as consignments of plastic scrap, the government said.
Local media say 600 African elephants would have been killed to produce such amounts.
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