Shanghai customs seize ivory products

Passengers pass security checkpoint at Terminal 2 building of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport in east China's Shanghai, Nov. 24, 2020.(Xinhua/Ding Ting)

SHANGHAI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 ivory products have been intercepted at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Customs said Tuesday.

Shanghai Customs said the suspicious items were identified when the luggage of passengers on inbound flights underwent X-ray inspections.

Further investigation revealed that one passenger had hidden 16 ivory products, including a bracelet and Buddha amulets, weighing about 470 grams, in shoes and milk powder. While in the luggage of another passenger, customs officers found a 124-gram ivory item.

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.