HANOI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Four Vietnamese people have been sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison for trafficking 984 kg of pangolin scales, local media reported on Wednesday.
This was one of the biggest cases of wildlife trading so far in the country, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported.
Among them, a woman from the northern Vinh Phuc province, who was the leader in the case, was sentenced to seven years in prison, while another woman from the capital Hanoi was jailed for five years for her role as a broker.
Meanwhile, two other criminals from Vinh Phuc province were sentenced to four and two years in prison respectively for illegally transporting the scales.
Pangolin is a protected wild animal as a result of increasing demand for its meat and scales. Some pangolin species have been listed in the red book by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered species.
Vietnamese laws prohibit the hunting, killing, caging, trading or transport of wild animals. ■