Customs officials in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, announced at a press conference Wednesday that 11.9 tons of smuggled pangolin scales were seized at a local port in July. An estimated 20,000 pangolins are thought to have been slaughtered for the scales, which is the largest volume ever intercepted in a single smuggling case by Chinese customs. /Chinanews Photo

Altogether 239 bags filled with what are believed to be pangolin body parts were found in early July at Yantian Port when customs officers were inspecting a suspicious shipping container which was registered as empty but was instead found to be loaded with charcoal. The South China Wildlife Identification Center later confirmed that the scales were from endangered pangolins banned from international trade. Two suspects have been arrested following an investigation and Shenzhen customs have pledged to further crack down on the illicit trade of endangered animals and plants. /Chinanews Photo

The Pangolin is one of the most heavily trafficked mammals and is one of the world’s most protected animals according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The animals have always been a temptation to smugglers who have found profit in their reported medicinal value. /Chinanews Photo