Smuggled rhino horns hidden in luggage seized

Thai authorities have seized more than $500,000 worth of rhino horn from passenger's luggage at a Bangkok airport.
 
Thai Customs officer Khanit Isdul said Sunday that officials acting on a tip-off found four rhino horns in the passenger's luggage at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
 
Officials arrested Phan Quangloc, a 56-year-old Vietnamese passenger who arrived with the case from Ethiopia on Sunday. He is expected to face a jail term in Thailand if convicted of smuggling.
 
Officials estimated the value of the confiscated horns, cut into 6 sections, at 18 million baht ($586,000).
 
Asia is the main market for smuggled rhino horn, as some people believe it can cure diseases. Trade in rhino parts is banned under international agreements.

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