Official Authorities Seized the one of the largest ever shipments of pangolin scales en route to Vietnam, worth an estimated $38.7 million.
In the official document, customs officials said they inspected a 40-foot container passing through Singapore from Nigeria and labeled as "frozen beef." Inside was over 14 tons of pangolin scales, packed in 230 bags, along with almost 180 kilograms (around 400 pounds) of cut up and carved elephant ivory.
Fourteen tons is around the same weight as two to three African elephants, or around eight Toyota Camry's.
A scale-covered, cat-sized nocturnal mammal that survives on ants and termites, the pangolin is among the most trafficked animals in the world.
In China and Vietnam, they are eaten as a delicacy and used in traditional medicine, with their keratin-rich scales believed to have a host of positive benefits – including aiding breastfeeding and curing asthma or cancer – none of which is supported by science.
The officials estimated the massive pile pangolin scales as worth approximately $38.7 million, far outstripping a prior record-breaking bust in China in 2016. Also in the container was around 390 pounds of carved elephant ivory, which officials estimated to be worth an additional $88,500.
"Under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act, the maximum penalty for illegal import, export and re-export of wildlife is a fine of up to $500,000 and/or 2 years' imprisonment," Singaporean authorities wrote in the statement. "The same penalties apply to transit or transshipment of illegal wildlife species, including their parts and derivatives."
"The Singapore Government adopts a zero-tolerance stance on the use of Singapore as a conduit to smuggle endangered species and their parts and derivatives," they added. "Our agencies will continue to collaborate and maintain vigilance to tackle the illegal wildlife trade."
