Two charged in Vietnam for illegal pangolin transport from Laos

Authorities in Thanh Hóa province, Vietnam, have initiated legal proceedings against Le Tuan Anh and Nguyen Van Thinh, charging them with the illegal transportation of a pangolin. The two individuals, residents of Thạch Bình commune, were apprehended on June 7 while moving a live pangolin, weighing around 7 kilograms, from the Vietnam-Laos border towards Thanh Hóa.

Pangolins are classified as endangered and rare wild animals, strictly protected under Vietnamese law, with prohibitions against hunting, capture, illegal farming, and trade. During questioning, both Le Tuan Anh and Nguyen Van Thinh admitted to purchasing and transporting the pangolin with the intention of selling it for profit.

Further investigations led to a search of the suspects' residences in Cẩm Tú commune, where authorities discovered a set of animal bones and four limbs suspected to be from a tiger, along with other related evidence. Initial findings suggest that Le Tuan Anh and Nguyen Van Thinh were frequently involved in cross-border transactions of endangered wildlife with individuals on the Lao side of the Na Mèo international border gate.

These animals were then transported to Thanh Hóa and other provinces for illicit sale, aiming to generate illegal profits. To evade law enforcement, the suspects reportedly used personal vehicles, fitted with fake license plates, and consistently altered their transportation methods, routes, and timing. The investigation into this case is ongoing, with authorities seeking to expand the inquiry.