End the Killing of Elephants for VN Ivory Trade

Thanks to your support, ENV is making critical progress in the fight to end wildlife trafficking and the killing of elephants for the ivory trade in Vietnam. From January through August, ENV documented 1,743 cases involving more than 5,680 violations, including 59 cases related to ivory and other elephant byproducts. Of these, 35 cases were recorded online, while 13 new cases were identified during the Dak Lak elephant CRC survey in August. These findings underscore that the ivory trade remains a persistent challenge in Vietnam, but they also highlight ENV’s leadership in uncovering violations and laying the groundwork for stronger enforcement action.

Building on these efforts, the following cases highlight the scale of the ivory trade and the tangible results achieved through coordinated enforcement:

• On April 22, 2025, the Economic Department of Hanoi City Police arrested a woman and confiscated 5.5 kg of African elephant (Loxodonta africana) ivory pieces and four ivory pendants during an operation undertaken in cooperation with ENV. The subject had previously been arrested in 2018 for smuggling 2.38 kg of ivory products. After checking the woman’s phone, police found the supplier’s contact information and quickly inspected the supplier’s residence, where they confiscated an additional 1.1 kg of ivory (Case ref. 12083/ENV).

• In April 2025, Facebook removed a major wildlife trading group with more than 19,000 members after coordinated mass reporting through ENV’s Wildlife Crime Cyber Day campaign. The group had been facilitating the sale of elephant ivory, tiger, and bear products, and its removal dealt a significant blow to the illegal online wildlife trade in Vietnam (Case ref. 27824/ENV).

• As a result of ENV’s prosecution efforts, a long-time ivory trader in Hanoi was arrested in October 2024 after being caught with 2.3 kg of tusks en route to ship them, with an additional 21.8 kg seized from his home. In January 2025, the Thuong Tin District Court sentenced him to five years in prison, and all confiscated ivory was destroyed (Case ref. 19274/ENV), marking a strong outcome on the prosecution front.

• Another success story from ENV’s prosecution front began in February 2024, when Ho Chi Minh City Police, in cooperation with ENV, arrested an online trader who had been repeatedly detected selling ivory alongside other wildlife products. Despite prior warnings, the trader continued advertising ivory, claws, and canines online until his arrest during a sting operation. In May 2025, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and all confiscated wildlife products were destroyed (Case ref. 25355/ENV). This case highlights ENV’s persistence in tracking ivory traders and ensuring accountability through the courts.

In August 2025, ENV carried out a Consumer Reduction Campaign in Dak Lak Province to address the illegal trade in elephant products. As part of this effort, the Wildlife Crime Unit and Dak Lak Outpost members surveyed 227 business establishments, of which 20 were found in violation for selling items made from ivory, tail hair, and bone. Notably, 27 establishments previously recorded with violations were not found selling elephant products during this survey, indicating measurable progress in reducing availability. While the presence of newly identified violators highlights ongoing challenges, these findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring and enforcement to support long-term efforts to protect elephants in Vietnam.

With your support, ENV is driving meaningful change against the ivory trade in Vietnam. Together, we are saving elephants from being killed for their tusks, reducing demand, and holding traffickers accountable. The fight is not yet over, but with your help, we are building a future where elephants are safe from the ivory trade.

Links:

• ENV's website