Austria: $500,000 worth of ivory seized by customs

Footage recorded at the Customs Office of the Austrian Ministry of Finance in Vienna on Thursday, shows record amounts of confiscated ivory.
540kg (85 stone) worth around $500,000 (€466,000) were seized when authorities raided two apartments in the Austrian capital after receiving a tip-off. A witness reported seeing three elephant tusks being sold out in the open street at the beginning of November. On receiving that information police and customs started a joint investigation which led them to two suspects thanks to the detailed description of the witness. Upon raiding their apartments officials discovered 90 elephant tusks – some with carvings, others still in their “natural” state.
One of the suspects is already known to the authorities, due to a previous violation of the law on international trade in endangered species. According to the Expert for protection of species at the Austrian Ministry of Finance, Gerhard Marosi, the investigations are still ongoing, but if the suspects are charged and convicted they could face up to two years in prison or a fine.