GUANGZHOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Customs staff in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, have busted smugglers in a case involving pangolin scales.
Customs said Wednesday that 7.26 tonnes of pangolin scales had been confiscated, and four suspects apprehended.
According to local experts, the scales belong to various types of pangolins, all classified under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and not meant for international trade.
As one pangolin has 0.4 to 6 kg of scales, 7.26 tonnes of such scales mean up to 18,000 pangolins have been killed, according to the South China Wildlife Identification Center.
"The suspects purchased the pangolin scales from Africa and tried to import them under the disguise of raw granite," said Zheng Jun, with Guangzhou Customs.
The pangolin is 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.
