Qingdao customs intercepts smuggled Saiga antelope horns, products

JINAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Qingdao customs in east China's Shandong Province said it has intercepted six pieces of endangered Saiga antelope horns and related products.

Customs officers detected abnormal images during an X-ray screening of two inbound mails, which were declared as "gifts."

Upon further inspection, a pair of antelope horns were found in one parcel and two antelope horns and a stone knife decorated with a horn were found in the other parcel. The customs officers later found another Saiga antelope horn at the suspect's house.

Criminal coercive measures have been initiated against the suspect, and further punishment is pending.

Saiga antelope, a top-class protected wild animal in China, is listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Except for holding relevant import and export certificates, it is illegal to transport endangered species and their products into or out of China by any means of trade or by mail, and serious violations are liable for criminal prosecution.