Police in the central province of Thanh Hoa seized nearly three tons of elephant tusks hidden amongst boxes of fruit yesterday (July 9), the latest haul to spotlight the key role the country plays in combatting the illegal wildlife trade.

The officers said they discovered roughly 2.7 tons of tusks concealed inside cartons on the back of a truck that was making its way to the capital city of Hanoi, according to a report on their website.

This is the largest seizure ever of trafficked ivory in the Province, the report said.

State media in turn said the elephant tusks originated from South Africa.

The driver of the truck reportedly claimed he was unaware of what he was transporting, according to multiple news outlets.

The global trade in elephant ivory, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after populations of the African giant mammals dropped from numbering in the millions in the mid-20th century to an estimated 600,000.

There are now believed to be just 415,000 worldwide, with 30,000 illegally killed each year.

Prices for of ivory can reach as high as US$1,100 per kilogramme.

Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992 but remains a top market for illegally trafficked ivory products prized throughout Asia for decorative purposes, or in traditional medicine despite having no proven medicinal qualities./.

VNF/VOV