Police busts pangolin smuggler

Police in Ha Tinh Province on December 11 seized a car with fake registration number plates transporting nearly 400 kilos of live pangolins.

The rescued pagolins and fake number plates

Deputy Head of the provincial Environment Division Captain Dang Quang Mien said the driver of a Camry 2.4 with number plate BKS 30M – 1207 tried to drive the car at high speed to escape. In his attempt to escape he rammed several police vehicles but was finally caught.

The car was found to contain 106 live pangolins, sticks and tubes and a dozens of fake number plates from different localities and agencies.

The 38 year-old driver Nguyen Van Ngon, 38 years old, from Nghe An Province, and his accomplice Do Manh Viet, 31 years old from Ha Tinh Province both failed to provide evidence of legal origin for the wild animals.

The live pangolins worth around VND1 billion (USD47,619) have been handed over to the Ha Tinh Forest Management Board.

The police are continuing their investigations.

Collecting the driver’s statement
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