Police rescue 40 endangered animals smuggled for restaurant
Police in Quang Tri Province on December 2 said they will release 40 endangered animals back to nature after successfully rescuing them from a car en route to a local restaurant.
The animals, including pangolins, tortoises and weasels, were handed over to forest rangers in the central province, authorities said, adding that all of them are in good health.
Police on November 30 pulled a seven-seater car over on National Highway 1A for a random check. They discovered the animals inside plastic boxes.
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| A forest ranger in Quang Tri Province checks the smuggled animals. Photo credit: Hoang Tao/ VnExpress |
Hoang Thi Luyen, 45, said she bought the animals from Thua Thien-Hue Province and rented the car to carry them to her restaurant in Quang Tri.
She could not show any paper to prove the origin of the animals, which weigh around 90 kilos in total.
Under Vietnamese law, anyone who is involved in the illegal trade in wild animals will be fined from VND50-500 million (US$2,400-US$24,000).
They can also be sentenced to jail for up to seven years.
They can also be sentenced to jail for up to seven years.