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Almost a tonne of mammoth tusks have been seized, packed inside 15 suitcases, while being smuggled from Russia to China.
The discovery was made at the Blagoveshchensk international checkpoint in the Amur region and was reported by the press service of Khabarovsk Customs on 15th August.
Officials said the cargo weighed 939 kilogrammes (2,070 lbs) and the men had no permits for the export of the paleontological finds.
Experts determined the tusks were of cultural value.
The detainees were unable to explain the presence of the cargo during luggage checks.
A criminal case was opened for large-scale smuggling of cultural property committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.
Under the law, the offence carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to RUB 1 million (GBP 9,270).
Searches are continuing to identify other possible participants in the scheme.
The operation was carried out jointly with the UFSB of Russia for the Amur Region.
The seizure comes as rising Arctic temperatures are degrading permafrost through rainfall, snowmelt, and overall warming, slowly unlocking ancient remains once preserved in ice.
As the permafrost thaws, mammoth bones and tusks emerge from riverbanks and ground layers in regions such as Siberia’s Kolyma River basin.
The growing availability of prehistoric ivory has fuelled demand, particularly in China, where it is often seen as a cheaper or grey-market substitute for elephant ivory after international trade bans.
Trade in mammoth ivory has more than tripled since the 2000s, with experts warning it can mask illegal elephant ivory sales because the materials are hard to distinguish.
Reports have described a "mammoth tusk gold rush" in Siberia, with hunters bypassing regulations to supply Chinese buyers through smuggling routes by road and ship.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Commisioning Editor: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: David Stojkovic
Byline Copychecker: Dushko Kochoski
Byline Illustrator: Dushko Kochoski
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Blagoveshchensk
Subject: K1, VP, Animals, Legal, Crime, Smuggling
T4 Editor Story Rating: 6
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 8
T4 Total rating: 7
