Customs officers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Thursday seized a 50 kilogram shipment of rhino horns en route from Kenya with dubious recipient.

The illicit shipment was being transported in a suitcase aboard a plane serial numbered KQ 870/28 DEC 16 from Nairobi, Kenya to Hanoi.

There was no receiver’s name on the suspicious package.

According to the Hanoi Customs Department, authorities became aware of the shipment after collecting information regarding the flight and doing a baggage scan.

Around 7:00 pm the same day, investigators opened the suitcase to reveal what appeared to be a large number of rhino horns, totaling 50 kilograms and carrying an estimated black market value of VND20 billion (US$879,097).

The horns have been sealed to support further investigation.

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), in prohibited.  

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