Customs Agents Seize Illegal Ivory Products At Sea-Tac

SEATAC, WA - Customs agents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recently seized 34 pieces of carved ivory, illegal under an international treaty banning trade of endangered species.

The items were found May 11 in the luggage of two people who traveled to Sea-Tac from the Philippines. The ivory items included carved hippopotamus tusks, carved warthog tusks, and carved elephant ivory. Customs agents discovered the ivory pieces while x-raying the travelers' luggage.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agriculture specialists seized the ivory. The two travelers were fined $500 each.

The international CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty aims to protect endangered species - everything from elephant tusks to rosewood - by outlawing their trade.

Image courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection