The heartbreaking news from Malaysia is about the seizure of rhinoceros horns from Malaysian airport in Kuala Lumpur. The customs officials in the airport have confiscated 18 rhino horns which are weighing more than 51 kilograms and have a value of more than $3 million.
As written in The Herald, these rhino horns were flown into the country from Mozambique via Qatar. Malaysia is known for being major transit points for endangered species trade to other Asian countries, but as per custom officials, Malaysia is believed to be the final destination for the horns. The customs officials found the horns from cargo warehouse of the airport.
The rhino horns were kept in a wooden crate in the cargo warehouse and were crated as art objects. When discovered, the cargo had a fake air bill attached with it. Airport customs director Hamzah Sundang informed the media in a press conference that no one was arrested till now for this incident.
Time reported that no one was found receiving the parcels, and therefore no one could be arrested. The consignee address and the recipient address, which was mentioned in the crates, with all the documentations used for the shipment, were invalid and false. Importing rhino horns without a valid license is an offense under the Malaysian law.
The black market for rhino horns is huge, with trafficking of these horns throughout the parts of Asia for the purpose of medicinal use as well as artistic use. These horns are used as a treatment for cancer, hangovers, and some general ailments. People consider rhino horns as gifts for trading for a better job or any other benefits.
In the year 2013, Vietnam had a rhino horn trafficking of $300,000 with a value more than per kilogram price of gold. Places like Vietnam consider rhino horns as luxury currency and status symbols. The United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has increased the protection on rhinos, which gets killed for their horns. Data from CITES show that approx. 6,000 rhinos have been killed for the valuable horns between the year 2005 and 2015 including black rhinos from Southern Africa.
