A Chinese woman carrying 35 kg of cut rhinoceros horns valued up to $7 million was arrested on Tuesday, at Phnom Penh International Airport. This is the 17th case of black market trafficking in African rhino horn and elephant ivory that the Customs Department has intercepted after being trained by Wildlife Alliance in anti-wildlife trafficking identification and law enforcement. As soon as the suspect was arrested at 2 pm, Wildlife Alliance anti-wildlife trafficking unit was called in by Customs to prepare the law enforcement documentation for the court. Mrs. Lian Jianying was then handed over to the wildlife authority in the country, the Forestry Administration. The Phnom Penh Forestry Administration Cantonment Chief, Mr. Chan Thettanoreak, took the suspect to court on Nov 2.

Wildlife Alliance has found that Cambodia is increasingly being targeted as a new trade route for rhino horn and ivory into Vietnam and China. Strengthening ties with border and airport customs has been a major focus of the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT) over the past three years.

With the slaughter of rhinos continuing at unprecedented rates, it is clear that every country involved in the trade, from source and transit to destination, must work together to ramp up their efforts to save rhinos from extinction. In Cambodia, Wildlife Alliance is directly addressing the illegal wildlife trade by strengthening law enforcement, while also reducing demand and increasing awareness through education and outreach. Join us in putting an end to the illegal trade by donating today.

The WRRT is a Forestry Administration law enforcement unit led by the Forestry Administration, in cooperation with the Military Police, with technical and financial support from Wildlife Alliance.