China-Vietnam border customs seize 90 smuggled pangolins in 2018

NANNING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The customs of Dongxing, a city on the China-Vietnam border, seized 90 living pangolins in 23 smuggling cases last year.

In addition to living pangolins, the customs officers in Dongxing, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, also seized 200 kg of pangolin scales, 22,082 dried sea horses and a batch of other wildlife products.

In March 2018, a criminal gang using modified motorcycles to carry 14 living pangolins into China was caught by the anti-smuggling department.

Pangolins are endangered animals under second-class state protection in China. Those who catch, kill, buy or sell endangered wild animals on the protection list can face more than 10 years in prison, plus fines.