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Smuggled Tiger Cubs Found Dead In Back Of Car In Vietnam

Smuggled Tiger Cubs Found Dead In Back Of Car In Vietnam

Seven dead tiger cubs were discovered in the back of a car in Vietnam, after allegedly being smuggled by wildlife traffickers

Daisy Phillipson

Daisy Phillipson

Seven dead tiger cubs were discovered in the back of a car in Vietnam, after allegedly being smuggled by wildlife traffickers.

Police have since arrested a man named Nguyen Huu Hue in connection to the deaths after the animals were found in his vehicle in a parking lot in Hanoi.

It is believed he has been transporting animals from Laos into Hanoi for years via a famous smuggling route.

Phan Van Vui has also been named as one of the suspects to have been arrested.

Phan Van Vui is among those believed to have smuggled the animals.
Getty

Cong An Nhan Dan, the official newspaper of the Ministry of Public Security, said: "Hue set up a company... which sells building material as a cover for the illegal trading of tigers and wildlife."

The publication also reported that three men were arrested in total, and that police have previously detained numerous others who were linked to the trafficking ring.

Police are now gathering up as much information as possible in a bid to bust the ring and figure out whether the tigers came from the wild or were part of an illegal farm.

Tigers are sought after in Vietnam, where their bones are boiled down and mixed with rice wine to make a traditional medicine said to treat arthritis and promote strength.

The frozen tiger carcasses were found in a Hanoi parking lot.
Getty

For this reason, tiger numbers continue to decline drastically, as trafficking rings continue to trade protected animals for profit.

The same can be said for other animals such as orangutans and pangolins who are taken across to various countries in Southeast Asia.

Just this week police caught another smuggling ring in Singapore, seizing a record haul of unauthorised ivory.

Nine tonnes of tusks from around 300 animals were uncovered in the illegal haul, as well as a huge amount of pangolin scales.

The container was discovered by authorities in Singapore, having been sent over from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The ivory trade is a contentious topic, one that was brought up late last year when the UK introduced a tough new law banning ivory sales.

While the UK ban marks a great step forward in tackling the issue, a poll held by LADbible showed that a huge 92 percent of readers want that ban extending worldwide.

The number of elephants has declined by almost a third in the last decade and around 20,000 per year are still being slaughtered due to the global demand for ivory.

For tigers, the situation looks just as bad, if not worse, with fewer than 4,000 wild tigers surviving worldwide, mostly due to persistent illegal poaching for their body parts for use in China and Southeast Asia.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Extinct, World News, Animals