By Quyen Vu | Project Leader
Thank you all for your support! We would like to update you on our ivory crime campaign progress between June and September this year.
ENV is continuing to eliminate Vietnam’s role as a consumer market and transit hub for trafficked ivory by strengthening legislation, sustaining enforcement, and expanding collaboration with national and international law enforcement partners. By dismantling criminal networks and prosecuting key traffickers, while reducing ivory availability in marketplaces and online platforms, ENV hopes to deliver lasting conservation benefits for elephants.
Over these four months, we received 873 new wildlife crime cases, 85 of which involved ivory. Our team has successfully addressed 32 ivory crime cases, with many others still ongoing. The most significant case was the seizure at Quy Nhon port of 1,193kg of ivory and 79.3kg of wildlife bones transported from Africa.
In August, ENV conducted a cyber ivory crime reduction campaign. Our staff carried out searches across popular social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Zalo, and YouTube. During the campaign, ENV identified 515 new ivory violations, mostly advertising ivory products for sale. Our staff will continue to work with authorities and partners to ensure cases result in appropriate action, including arrests, fines, and the deactivation or removal of illegal advertisements.
Below is a summary of some notable ivory successes:
On June 2, 2026, in response to a public report via the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline, a man advertising ivory products, animal claws, and canines was arrested by Khanh Hoa police. Authorities confiscated 20 Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) claws from his property (Case ref. 24164/ENV).
On July 29, 2026, in response to a report from ENV, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism deactivated a Facebook account advertising numerous ivory products and pangolin scales. The account was first reported to ENV in June 2025, but despite close cooperation with police, the owner could not be located and was reportedly in hiding due to substantial debt (Case ref. 33884/ENV).
On August 6, 2026, Gia Lai Economic Police, in coordination with the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department of Vietnam Customs and a task force from Department C05, seized 1,193kg of ivory and 79.3kg of wildlife bones at Quy Nhon port. The ivory had been shipped from Africa, hidden in wooden logs. ENV provided information to police prior to the seizure. Following further police investigation, two individuals were identified and arrested (Case ref. 37753/ENV).
On August 28, 2026, ENV provided an online crime report to the Quang Tri provincial Forest Protection Department (FPD). The report included an online supplier's profile and evidence of violations. The FPD issued the subject an administrative fine of VND 7,500,000 (approximately USD 290) for advertising bear and elephant products (Case ref. 36901/ENV).
On September 4, 2026, a TikTok account advertising ivory, rhino horn, tiger bone traditional medicine, and other products made from endangered wildlife was deactivated following a report by ENV on September 3 (Case ref. 35698/ENV).
We want to thank you for your continued support of our work fighting ivory crime in Vietnam and protecting elephants around the world. We couldn’t do it without you!
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