Singapore Records The Largest Badak Cula Confiscation Record Worth More Than IDR 13 Billion

Illustration of a two-time rhino. (Wikimedia Commons/KongkhamWichit)

JAKARTA - Singapore authorities on Tuesday announced the seizure of a rhino horn worth more than US$800,000 (Rp13,394,200,000) from a suspicious shipment heading for Vientiane, Laos, made the country's biggest catch ever recorded.

On November 8, about 20 pieces of rhino horn weighing 35.7 kg (78.7 pounds) were found and confiscated after SATS Group, an air cargo management company at Changi Airport Singapore, reported this to police, according to the National Park Council in a statement on Tuesday on Facebook.

"This is the largest rhino horn confiscation ever in Singapore, surpassing the previous 34.7 kg (76.5 pounds) record in 2022," he said, launching Anadolu November 18.

In addition, about 150 kg (330 pounds) of other unidentified animal body parts were also confiscated, with authorities still identifying the species.

"Singapore has taken a zero-tolerance stance on the illegal trade of endangered wildlife species, along with its parts and derivatives," the statement said.

Sanctions for transporting protected animals based on the International Trade Convention of the Endangered Wild Flora and Fauna Species (CITES) through Singapore without a valid permit include fines of up to 200,000 Singapore dollars for each specimen and/or prison sentence of up to eight years.