3 April 2014 Acting on a tip-off, officers from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and Singapore Customs worked together to intercept and detain a shipment of illegal ivory, estimated to be worth S$2 million.

This is the third largest seizure of illegal ivory by Singapore authorities since 2002

The shipment, which was declared as coffee berries, was transiting through Singapore from Africa in a 20-foot container and destined for another Asian country. AVA and Singapore Customs officers detected irregularities in the consignment of goods when the container was scanned at the Pasir Panjang Export Inspection Station on 25 March 2014.

A total of 106 pieces of illegal raw ivory tusks, weighing about one tonne, were recovered from 15 wooden crates. AVA is currently investigating the case.

Full press release: ava.gov.sg

12 October 2013 - A hand-made rifle together with other hunting gears and a pair of chain block believed to be used in logging were found unattended by wildlife rangers of Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park during their regular patrol inside the park. A hand-made rifle was kept at the Police Station of Yinmapin Township for further investigation.

16 October 2013 - Forest Department Officials found 33.26 kilograms of dried meat of wild cow or banteng (Bos banteng ) and 0.5 cubic meter of teak sawn-timber during their patrol in proposed North Zamrari Elephant Range. The dried meats confiscated were destroyed, and no suspect could be identified for that case.

17 October 2013 - Two alive pangolins were seized from two persons on a motorbike running on Mandalay-Lashio Highway Road by a team comprised of Forest Department Officials and Myanmar Police Force. The offenders are being charged in accordance with section 37(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine of up to Kyats 50,000 or both. The confiscated pangolins were then released into their natural habitat near Lashio Township.

24 October 2013 - 159 tortoises and 41 turtles were found by Mobile Inspection Team comprised of officials from Ministry of Commerce at border checkpoint near Muse Township, Shan State. Three turtles died and the alive ones are being kept at the Turtle Rescued Center located in Naungcho Township, Shan State and the related suspects for that case are being investigated.

10 November 2013 - In response to the information of a wild elephant was killed in Sitsayan Reserved Forest located in Ayeyawady Region, Forest Department Officials took necessary action immediately and seized 8 poachers together with 30 (fresh) and 90 (dry) elephant tails and a hand-made firearm. All poachers are being charged in accordance with section 37(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine of Kyats 50,000 or with both.

15 November 2013 - Myanmar Police Force seized a package containing of 49.89 kilograms of elephant skin (dry) from a bus at 115 mile High-way Station located in Phyue Township, Bago Region. The suspects for that case are being investigated.

In September of 2013, authorities were able to seize and recover illegally logged timber in Chatthin, Shwe U Daung and Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuaries, as follows:

25-29 November 2013 - A team comprised of Officials from Forest Department and Shwe-U-Daung Wildlife Sanctuary seized 77.35 cubic meters of timber during patrolling in the Wildlife Sanctuary; 63.13 cubic meters of Teak (Tectona grandis) and 14.2 cubic meters of other hardwoods ( Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Xylia xylocarpa, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus and Shorea obtusa). Further investigation is underway and the confiscated timbers are kept at the Forest Department Office of Moemeik Township, Shan State.

Crack-down on the Illegal Timber Trade in Myanmar

Forest Department is taking actions seriously against illegal trade of timber, forest products and wildlife in cooperation with Police Force and relevant Line Departments. Within November 2013, a total of 3808.35 cubic meters of illegal timber were confiscated from a total of 1171 illegal cases. All the offenders were charged in accordance with Forest Law (1992).

15 January 2014 - 567 snakes were found from a car at 105 mile checkpoint of Muse Township, Shan State, Myanmar by a team comprised of officials from Forest Department and Mobile Inspection Team. Of all confiscations, 66 viper and 29 cobra were transferred to No.1, Pharmaceutical Industry (Yangon) for medicinal purposes while 472 racer snakes were released into Shwe-U-Daung Wildlife Sanctuary. The suspect for that case is being investigated.

19 January 2014 - One Asiatic softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea) was seized by Forest Department Officials of Myitkyina Township, Kachin State, Myanmar. The seized turtle was released into the Ayeyarwady River. The suspect for that case is being investigated.

23 January 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized a person together with 46 packages containing 2,786.6 kilogram of illegal orchids at the Kyeintone-Milar Highway Road of Shan State, Myanmar. The defendant was being charged in accordance with section 36 (b) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

30 January 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized two people for transporting illegal timber and forest products (0.03 cubic meter of Xylia xylocarpa, 150 poles of bamboo, two chain saws and one motor vehicle) in proposed North Zamari Elephant Range of Bago Region, Myanmar. The suspects were being charged in accordance with section 36 (c) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

9 February 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized 0.74 cubic meter of illegal timber and two chain saws together with two defendants in Taninthayi Nature Reserve of Taninthayi Region, Myanmar. The defendants were being charged in accordance with section 36 (b) and (c) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

21 February 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized two alive pangolins from a defendant at Yangon-Mandalay Highway road of Taungoo Township, Bago Region, Myanmar. The defendant was being charged in accordance with section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine of up to Kyats 50,000 or both.

24 February 2014 - Forest Department Officials confiscated 4.39 cubic meter of illegal logs and plywood of teak (Tectona grandis), one chain saw and one motor vehicle in Proposed North Zamari Elephant Range of Bago Region, Myanmar. All confiscations are kept at the Forest Department Office of Lapatan Township and the offender is being investigated.

1 March 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized a person with 214 bags (8,830 kilogram) of illegal wild orchids at Kyeintone-Taungyi Highway Road of Eastern Shan State, Myanmar. The defendant was being charged in accordance with section 36 (b) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

3- 4 March 2014 - Forest Department Officials seized three persons with four buffaloes, one chain saw, one chain bar and one motor cycle that would be used for illegal timber logging in Proposed North Zamari Elephant Range of Bago Region, Myanmar. The defendants were being charged in accordance with section 36 (c) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

12 March 2014 - Forest Department Officials together with village heads seized 24.5 kilogram of green orchid and 4.9 kilogram of dry orchid from a defendant at his house of Gangaw Township of Magwe Region, Myanmar. The defendant was being charged in accordance with section 36 (b) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine of Kyats up to 30,000 or with both.

Confiscating towards the Illegal Timber Trade in Myanmar

Forest Department of Myanmar is seriously paying attention to combat illegal wildlife trade as well as other associated trade including illegal timber trade that leads to the deforestation, forest degradation and loss of royalties. The combating towards those trades is the collaborative action between Forest Department, Myanmar Police Force and local administration. From January to February 2014, a total of 23,541.84 cubic meters of illegal timber were seized from 4,032 cases across the country. The suspects involved in those illegal timber trades were taken actions against the laws, particularly with Forest Law (1992).

7 December 2013 - 788 snakes were found to be transported by two motor vehicles at (16) mile checkpoint of Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region by a team of officials from Forest Department, Custom Department and Myanmar Police Force. All the alive vipers were saved and transferred to No.1 Pharmaceutical Industry (Yangon) for medicinal purposes, while alive racer snakes were released back into the nearest protected area, Shwe-U-Daung Wildlife Sanctuary. And the dead ones were set ablaze for destruction. The motor vehicles employed for transport remained at the Custom Department Office of Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region. One defendantwas being charged in accordance with section 35(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine of up to Kyats 10,000 or both. The other one allegedly involved was also put into the custody for further investigation.

8 December 2013 - 255 racer snakes were found to be transported by a car at (16) mile checkpoint of Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region by a team of officials from Forest Department, Custom Department and Myanmar Police Force. All the alive ones were saved and released back into the nearest protected area, Shwe-U-Daung Wildlife Sanctuary. The car employed for illicit transport remainedat the Custom Department Office of Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region and the defendant was put into police custody.

9 December 2013 - Forest Department officials found 31.53 cubic meters ofillicit logs during their patrol around the Shwe-U-DaungWildlife Sanctuary. Those are of different species: Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Portiumserratum, Chuckrasia tabualaris and Shorea obtusa. The suspects for that case was yet to be identified.

11-13 December 2013 - 201.8 cubic meters of illicit logs were found by Forest Department officials from Shan State and Shwe-U-Daung Widlife Sanctuary during the joint patrol conducted in the Sanctuary; 7.89 cubic meters of Teak (Tectonagrandis),169.7 cubic meters of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus and 24.21 cubic meters of other hardwoods. All the confiscations are transferred to the Forest Department of Moemaik Township, Shan State and the investigation is still underway to define the culprits.

16 December 2013 - Four horns of goral (Naemorehedus goral), two antlers of takin (Budorcas taxicolor) and two antlers barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) antlers were confiscated from a person at Putao Airport by Putao Airport Security. The offender is being charged in accordance with section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine of up to Kyats 50,000 or both.

22 December 2013 - 48 pangolins were found to be transported by a car running on Yangon-Mawlamyaing Highway Road by a team of officials from Forest Department and Myanmar Police Force. Among them, six pangolins were found to be dead then set ablaze for destruction. The alive ones were released into the Kyeikhtiyoe Reserve Forest. The defendant is being charged in accordance with section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine of up to Kyats 50,000 or both.

10 January 2014 - 376 boxes containing of 9,250 snakes were seized from a car running from Pinlon to Laechar, Southern Shan State by a local team of officials from Forest Department, General Administration Department and Myanmar Police Force. Of all confiscations, cobras and vipers were saved and transferred to No.1, Pharmaceutical Industry (Yangon) for medicinal purposes while racer snakes were released into the wild. The two offenders are being charged in accordance with section 35(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994) and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine of up to Kyats 10,000 or both.

Myanmar authorities have continued to step up its national efforts to strengthen its commitments in curbing illegal wildlife trafficking and illegal logging.

From August to September of 2013, Myanmar authorities have been able to enforce its relevant wildlife legislations as follows:

16th August, 2013 - In collaboration with Myanmar Police Force, Forest Department officials seized one (1) alive Tokay (Gekko gecko) of 15 inches in length from two suspects at the transboundary checkpoint between Myanmar and India. The defendants are being charged in accordance with section 35 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 3 years, or fine of Kyats 10,000, or both.

22th August, 2013 - Forest Department officials seized 14 tortoises and 3 turtles at Oattwin Township in Bago Region and arrested a suspect. The suspect is being charged in accordance with section 35 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 3 years, or fine of Kyats 10,000, or both.

24th August, 2013 - Myanmar Police Force seized 47 pangolins from a suspect in Thahton Township of Mon State. All confiscated pangolins were released into their natural habitats. The defendant is being charged in accordance with section 37 (a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 7 years, or fine of up to Kyats 50,000, or both.

24th August, 2013 - In collaboration with Myanmar Police Force, Forest Department officials seized 105 tortoises (Rakhine Forest Turtle - Heosemys depressa) and arrested a suspect in Hopone Township of Shan State. Five (5) turtles died. The remaining 100 have been kept at the Turtle Rescue Center of Forest Department in Naung-Cho Township, Shan State. The defendant is being charged in accordance with the section 36(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years, or fine of up to Kyats 30,000, or both.

5th September 2013 - Custom Department officials seized 449 snakes in Muse Township of Shan State and arrested one suspect. The seizure included 197 cobra, 157 rat snakes and 95 racer snakes. Of all confiscations, 1 racer snake, 5 cobra and 25 rat snakes died, and the remaining 192 cobra were transferred to No.1 Pharmaceutical Industry (Yangon) for medical purposes. The other 226 snakes were released into their natural habitats. The defendant is being charged in accordance with section 35(a) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 3 years, or fine of up to Kyats 10,000, or both.

The Forest Department of Myanmar has also seriously paid attention to combat other associated trade including illegal timber trade that leads to deforestation, forest degradation and loss of royalties. Combating against the illegal timber trade is also a collaborative action between the Forest Department, National Police Force and local administration. During the month of October 2013, a total of 2922.35 cubic meters of illegal timber were seized from 1070 cases. The suspects involved in the illegal timber trade were charged in accordance with the relevant laws, particularly with Forest Law (1992).

In September of 2013, authorities were able to seize and recover illegally logged timber in Chatthin, Shwe U Daung and Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuaries, as follows:

7th September 2013 - A patrol team from Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary seized 7 logs of Dipterocarpus tuberculatus (2.5 cubic meters) on 7 bullock carts, and arrested a total of 8 defendants. The defendants are being charged in accordance with the section 36(b) of the Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994), which can be punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years, or fine of up to Kyats 30,000, or both.

11th September 2013 - Shwe U Daung Wildlife Sanctuary and Forest Department officials from Kyaukme District of Shan State seized 14.87 cubic meters of timber. All the confiscations are kept at the Forest Department office of Kyaukme Township. The suspect is still being investigated.

12th September 2013 - Rangers from Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and Forest Department officials seized 22.4 cubic meters of timber that was illegally logged from the Wildlife Sanctuary. Suspect is still being investigated.