SHANGHAI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities at Shanghai's Wusong Port on Tuesday said they had intercepted 64 ivory items weighing approximately 2 kg during an onboard inspection.

Customs officers noted that some of the crew on an inbound ship were behaving strangely during a routine inspection when the ship was anchored at the Luojing terminal of the port on March 10. After multiple interrogations, several crew members removed bracelets and pendants from their sleeves, collars and pockets. Some had hidden ivory items in folding umbrellas or sewn them into their underwear in order to pass customs inspections.

A total of 64 items, later confirmed to be ivory products, were seized at the scene. Twelve crew members, all Chinese nationals, were arrested and the case has been filed for further investigation.

The Chinese government suspended imports of ivory and all ivory products in 2015 and ended the commercial processing and sales of ivory at the end of 2017 under its commitment to protecting wild animals. Enditem

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