A batch of rhino horns weighing about 4kg has been confiscated by Tan Son Nhat International Airport customs officers, the latest in an ongoing battle against animal part smuggling at the Ho Chi Minh City terminal.

Eight pieces of horns were found inside the luggage of two Vietnamese passengers arriving from Africa, officers said on Wednesday.

The products, whose market value is estimated at about VND8 billion (US$352,000), were concealed in cosmetic packs, biscuit boxes, and ceramic kettles, according to the airport’s customs unit.

This latest confiscation brings the total amount of rhino horn seized by customs officers at Tan Son Nhat this year to 6kg. An additional 10kg of elephant tusks have also been seized so far in 2017.

In accordance with Vietnamese law, the import of rhino horns, as with all animals protected by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), is strictly prohibited.

Last November, Vietnamese authorities destroyed nearly 2.2 metric tons of seized elephant ivory and 70 kilograms of rhino horn, estimated to be worth more than $7 million on the black market. It was considered one of the country's biggest efforts to stop the illegal trade of wildlife parts.

Vietnam has become a transit point for purchasing elephant ivory, mostly for Chinese and U.S. buyers who use it for jewelry and home decoration. 

Meanwhile, Vietnam is a major consumer of rhino horn.

Since 2013, the Vietnamese government has worked closely with the UK-based Humane Society International (HSI) to reduce the country’s demand for rhino horn.

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