SINGAPORE, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority and customs said on Wednesday they intercepted a large illegal shipment of raw ivory tusks that was smuggled from Africa.
The shipment of about 1.8 tons of tusks, or 1,099 pieces of raw ivory tusks, are the second largest shipment of ivory tusks seized since 2002, the authorities said.
The authorities acted on a tip-off and inspected the shipment that was declared as waste paper on Jan. 23. The tusks were packed in 65 gunny sacks.
International trade in ivory has been banned since 1989. The African and Asian elephants are all endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Singapore is signatory to the convention.