Two men arrested in Siem Reap airport with 80 kg of ivory

Originally published on February 18, 2014

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Cambodian police arrested two Vietnamese nationals on Sunday night after they allegedly attempted to smuggle elephant ivory into Cambodia.

The two suspects, Pham Quancheong, 23, and Buoy Vanteou, 45, were arrested for trying to smuggle 79.5 kg of elephant ivory hidden in three bags into Cambodia through Siem Reap International Airport.

The bags were flown to Cambodia from an African country, according to official accounts either Angola or South Africa, via South Korea, and ultimately destined for the Vietnamese market, the Phnom Penh Post reported.

At around 9 p.m., the suspects were stopped by custom officers while lugging heavy suitcases. Their bags were seized and they were arrested on charges of illegal ivory smuggling. They face up to five years in prison.

According to the Phnom Penh Post, while drug smuggling is common in Siem Reap province, ivory smuggling remains rare.

"This is the first case in Siem Reap province of illegally smuggling ivory since I became a deputy police chief five years ago," Siem Reap provincial deputy police chief Um Amra was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post as saying.

In the past two years however, two ivory shipments, one from Ethiopia and one from Angola, destined to Cambodia have been seized in Thailand, the Phnom Penh Post reported.

Almost all trade in ivory is banned under international agreements.

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