Man caught storing 5 dead tigers in freezer in central Vietnam
A man from the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An has been caught storing five dead tigers in a freezer on March 20.
Anti-smuggling officers of the central region, under the Ministry of Public Security, discovered five Indochinese tiger corpses in a freezer at the home of Cao Xuan Toan, a resident of Dien Chau District, Nghe An.
In coordination with local police units, the officers carried out a raid on the residence around noon, following an investigation into an illegal ring selling wildlife animals.
The animals had each been cut open and had their organs removed.
They were estimated to have weighed between 100 and 150 kilograms when they were still alive.
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| The bodies of five tigers stored in a freezer at Cao Xuan Toan’s house in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An |
The case has been transferred to the Nghe An Department of Police for further investigation.
In late October 2016, Le Van Duc, 26, also from Dien Chau District, Nghe An, was caught storing a dead tiger weighing 37 kilograms, along with approximately 21 kilograms of tiger skin, inside another freezer.
The poaching, transportation, and trading of endangered wild animals is outlawed in Vietnam.
Offenders face up to seven years behind bars, according to the country’s Penal Code.
In Vietnam, tigers are poached and traded for their skin, which can be processed into household decorations.
In addition, their bones can be slow-cooked into a thick paste that is rumored to cure a wide range of illnesses.
