Thais seize half ton of ivory smuggled from Kenya
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai customs officials have seized half a ton of ivory at Bangkok's international airport.
The ivory was discovered Friday hidden in crates aboard a flight from Kenya. Customs officials displayed the 456-kilogram (1,000-pound) haul on Tuesday. One official estimated that the 158 pieces of ivory were from the tusks of around 50 elephants.
The officials said they acted on a tip-off to seize the ivory, which was in six crates labeled as handicrafts. No arrests have been made.
Ivory shipped to Thailand typically is used to make oriental* carvings or jewelry. Thailand is also a transit point for other markets, including China.
The international trade in ivory was banned in 1989 to prevent the poaching of elephants.
*edited
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
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