Vietnamese news on vnexpress.net reports that three days ago Hanoi police exposed a major wildlife trafficking case. Drawing on intelligence, they intercepted a suspicious motorbike and discovered 23 king cobras hidden in a foam box.
After initial investigation, the driver admitted he bought these animals from a strange vendor at the cost of nearly $100, and intended to sell them to restaurants. On February 15, the snakes were released into the wild.
According to a local policeman, this is the biggest king cobra trafficking case they have ever uncovered. King cobras are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and are also protected under Group IB of Vietnamese Decree 32/2006/ND-CP.
Photo courtesy of vnexpress.net
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