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(Image: Alamy Stock Photo)

Gangs are hacking off ivory from endangered species and flogging the grisly trophies for up to £1,750 a pair.

And they are finding their way to our shores via online black markets.

The sickening trade has moved online to evade police after the Government slapped a ban on selling ivory in the UK.

Dealers in the UK use the ivory for ornaments, and the rhino parts are used in traditional medicines or ground down and added to wine.

Some are sold to China where there is huge demand.

(Image: NC)

Interpol say the multi-billion pound illicit trade is behind only drugs and weapons in terms of its popularity on encrypted markets.

Our investigators found tusks and horns being sold to the UK and across Europe on password-protected sites. One seller offered: “1kg elephant ivory, super great condition from Africa.

“Gold imprinted ivories also available contact me for more pics and videos. Also selling ostrich eggs and hippo teeth.”

A tradesmen close to the racket told the Daily Star Sunday: “Ivory is big business as there are huge profits to be made, especially overseas.

“It’s why you see a lot of ivory thefts from museums – because it sells for proper money.

“Now the ban has come into force it’s more difficult to trade so people are buying over the dark web.

“Most of it goes to China and the Far East where they use it for ornaments. They pay huge amounts over there.”

The ban will be the strictest of its kind in Europe and one of the toughest in the world.

Charities hope it will stop ivory being exported from the UK to Asia, where it is a status symbol used in ornaments and jewellery and encourage a similar crackdown elsewhere.

Matthew Hatchwell, of the Zoological Society of London, said: “No-one in the UK today would dream of wearing a tiger-skin coat.

“Thanks to this move, in a few years’ time we believe the same will be true for the trade in ivory.”

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Until now, “antique” ivory objects made before 1947 were exempt from the international ban in the UK.

But unscrupulous traders passed off illegal ivory as legitimate antiques to sell them here.

Much of that ivory ended up in Asia. Since 2005, more than 54,000 pieces have been exported from the UK, more than anywhere in the world.

But now only items destined for museums, objects of historical importance, and items over 70 years old containing small amounts of ivory are exempt.

It will stop old ivory from the UK being re-carved and sold in Asia and will make it harder for poachers to smuggle illegal ivory through this country.