Guest guest Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews & storyID=2252770 Iguanas Seized on Way to China Wed February 19, 2003 09:56 AM ET HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam has intercepted and seized an air shipment of hundreds of live iguanas bound for China, but more than half the reptiles have since died, police said on Tuesday. Trafficking in animals such as weasels, snakes and bears to China is popular as Vietnam's giant northern neighbor puts them in special dishes or uses them as medicine. The cargo, which weighed two tons, was in transit at Hanoi's Noi Bai international airport and was worth around 400 million dong ($23,974), a police officer in the anti-smuggling division told Reuters. The reptiles were sent to a local wild animal rescue center, but more than half have since died, he added. " The cargo of iguanas weighing more than two tons was found on a flight from Malaysia on February 11, " he said, adding that police are weighing punishment for the Vietnamese firm that handled the shipment. Authorities did not say how many iguanas there were but they would have been in the hundreds. Communist Vietnam has few punitive measures against trafficking in wild animals and usually imposes fines. Send Flowers for Valentine's Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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