Pangolin scales held at HK port
Print Edition
A TWO-ton haul of scales from the endangered pangolin has been seized by Hong Kong Customs in a bust worth HK$10 million (US$1.3 million), authorities said yesterday.
The scales of the protected animal, also known as the “scaly anteater,” are in demand for traditional Chinese medicine, especially on the mainland, where they are used in various potions that claim to boost virility and treat allergies.
Officials discovered the stash on Tuesday in a shipping container from Nigeria at Hong Kong’s cargo port.
“Customs officers found the pangolin scales in 44 nylon bags of goods in the container,” said a government statement published yesterday.
Pangolin scales are prized as an ingredient in Chinese medicine but activists say their health properties are a myth.
The rare anteater’s skin is also used in the production of fashion accessories in Asia and its meat is considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam.
In 2014, Hong Kong made its largest seizure of pangolin scales in five years after discovering more than 3 tons of them, worth US$2 million, in containers from Kenya.
Trade in pangolins, which live in Asia and Africa, is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
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