Viet Nam Wildlife Trafficking Assessment

Nigeria, South Africa, Angola, and Mozambique were common origin countries for known Vietnamese air trafficking instances. Common transit countries included the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, and Malaysia. Ivory and rhino horn were the dominant species categories, collectively accounting for over half of all trafficking instances. The total weight of ivory seized in known Vietnamese air trafficking instances decreased dramatically, from a high of over 2,000 kg in 2016 to 350 kg in 2017 to just 25 kg in 2019. By contrast, the weight of rhino horn seized grew steadily, increasing by over 50% each year to over 300 kg in 2019. Whereas instances involving ivory were evenly distributed between raw tusk and worked product, known rhino horn trafficking instances were almost exclusively composed of raw horn. Shipments of marine species (including giant clams, coral, and dried seahorses) appeared more frequently in recent years, accounting for approximately 30% of known trafficking instances between 2018 and 2019.