‘Ice ivory’ smuggler foiled in Russia – officials (PHOTO)

A Chinese national is facing jail time for trying to take 3,300 fragments out of the country, according to the customs service

Customs officers at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport have thwarted an attempt to smuggle mammoth tusk fragments weighing almost 40kg out of the country, officials have said.

Russian law enforcement is combating the trafficking of the bones, sometimes dubbed “ice ivory.” They are considered part of Russia’s cultural heritage and are typically unearthed from the Siberian permafrost.

A 35-year-old Chinese national was caught trying to smuggle more than 3,300 pieces valued at more than 1 million rubles (about $10,000) across the border, the Russian Federal Customs Service said in a statement on Thursday.

The suspect was en route to China’s Guangzhou province and claimed that he intended to use the tusk fragments to make souvenirs. He misstated their value as being under 300,000 rubles ($3,000) and said he was not aware that he was violating export rules, the statement said.

An assessment by Russia’s Ministry of Culture confirmed that the seized items are classified as culturally significant. The man is now facing criminal charges of large-scale smuggling. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, customs officials said.

Dealers in various markets, including in China, illicitly procure mammoth tusks for use in art and jewelry. Legal export of paleontological artifacts from Russia requires a license from the Ministry of Culture.