Malaysia this morning destroyed 9,500kg of elephant ivory it had seized over the years, which authorities hope will help deter smugglers who have long used the country as a trans-shipment point.
The huge pile of African elephant tusks, estimated to be worth €18 million, was first fed into in an industrial crusher to be pulverised, and then incinerated in a giant furnace in Port Dickson in southern Malaysia.
Malaysia has previously announced in parliament that 4,624 ivory tusks were confiscated between 2011 and 2014.
"This is our first-ever ivory destruction. We want to send a strong message to the world that Malaysia does not compromise in protecting endangered species," a government spokesman said.
The international ivory trade, with rare exceptions, has been outlawed since 1989 after the population of African elephants declined from millions in the mid-20th Century to just 600,000 by the end of the 1980s.
But poachers and smugglers have continued to exploit demand, mainly from Asia and particularly China, where ivory is highly prized for medicinal and decorative uses.
Malaysia, a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, has seized a number of shipments over the years, mostly by sea.
In March, officials said they had confiscated 159kg of ivory smuggled by passengers aboard commercial flights.
The tusks destroyed today originated in 11 African countries ranging from Ghana to Tanzania.
The event was witnessed by foreign diplomats and conservation groups.
