Customs Officers in port city of Qingdao in eastern China on Monday, January 20, 2020 said it had seized 11 ivory products from a passenger’s luggage at the Qingdao Liuting International Airport.
Customs said the ivory products, weighing about 347 grams, were hidden in several coffee cans.
The ivory products have been temporarily confiscated by the customs for further investigation.
The seizure came after China had outlined a plan to ban the ivory trade completely.
The Chinese government suspended imports of ivory and all ivory products in 2015 and ended commercial processing and sales of ivory at the end of 2017 as part of its commitment to protecting wild animals.
Hong Kong has long held the reputation as being the “dark heart of the ivory trade,” a port city that’s less regulated and provides a gateway to China.
The sale of ivory is still legal in Hong Kong, with restrictions, but the government plans to phase it out by 2021.
The trade has slowed down since a treaty banned international trade in 1989, but dozens of shops in Hong Kong are permitted to sell domestic ivory that predates the ban.
