A tiger carcass and wildlife products were found from a residence of man in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. - Vietnam News/VNExpress
HANOI, May 30 (dpa): Police in a central province of Vietnam arrested five people for trading the carcass of a tiger to make bone glue, a traditional medicine, authorities said Monday.
In mid-April, police caught a 48-year-old and his wife in the act as they were preparing to cut the carcass of a 145-kilogram tiger in their home in Thuong Xuan district, in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam.
Upon checking the house, police discovered 5 kilogrammes of animal bones, six claws and 10 kilogrammes of frozen bone glue.
Le Van Huy of Thuong Xuan district's police told dpa that police looked into the case after receiving a tip and that the five individuals were being charged with "violating regulations on wildlife protection."
The couple admitted they bought the dead tiger for the price of 130 million dong (5,500 dollars) from an unidentified man in neighbouring Nghe An province.
Police then identified another 48-year-old man as the seller and arrested him and two others accused of being involved in the ring.
Vietnamese police have identified numerous cases relating to the illegal breeding, trafficking and killing of tigers in recent years.
Tigers are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The animal is threatened mainly by poaching and habitat destruction.
Under Vietnamese law, each person in the ring could face a prison term of up to five years.
Tiger bone paste is a valued ingredient in Vietnamese and Chinese traditional medicine. A kilogram of pure tiger bone paste can sell for up to 5,000 dollars on the black market. - dpa
