Key points: Singapore intercepted 20 rhino horns weighing 35.7 kg and about 150 kg of other animal parts in air cargo bound for Laos — the largest seizure of its kind in the city-state. The consignment, disguised as "furniture fittings," is valued at about $870,000; the horns were identified as from white South African rhinos and will be destroyed under CITES rules. Conservation groups warn that, despite recent declines, poaching and illegal horn trade remain serious threats — more than 2,700 rhinos were poached in Africa from 2018–2021, mostly in South Africa.
Singapore Seizes Record Haul of Rhino Horns — 35.7 kg Hidden in Cargo Bound for Laos
Key points: Singapore intercepted 20 rhino horns weighing 35.7 kg and about 150 kg of other animal parts in air cargo bound for Laos — the largest seizure of its kind in the city-state. The consignment, disguised as "furniture fittings," is valued at about $870,000; the horns were identified as from white South African rhinos and will be destroyed under CITES rules. Conservation groups warn that, despite recent declines, poaching and illegal horn trade remain serious threats — more than 2,700 rhinos were poached in Africa from 2018–2021, mostly in South Africa.
05:50 PM, 11/18/2025Environment
Singapore seizes record rhino horn haul hidden in air cargo to Laos
Singapore authorities have intercepted what they say is the largest seizure of rhinoceros horn in the city-state's history: a consignment disguised as "furniture fittings" that contained 20 rhino horns weighing a total of 35.7 kilogrammes (78.7 lb), plus roughly 150 kg of other animal parts. The shipment, bound for Laos, was uncovered after a cargo handler detected a strong odour, the National Parks Board and air-cargo handler SATS said in a joint statement.
Value and identification: The haul is estimated to be worth about $870,000. Tests identified the 20 horns as coming from white South African rhinoceroses. Authorities are investigating the origin of the additional animal parts found in the consignment.
Legal and conservation response: Rhinoceroses and their horns are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which bans international trade in rhino horn. Singaporean officials said the seized horns will be destroyed in accordance with CITES guidelines.
Context and impact: Rhino horn is sought in parts of Asia as a status symbol and for falsely claimed medicinal uses. It is also carved into jewelry and household items such as combs, buttons and belt buckles — products that help sustain illegal poaching and trafficking networks.
The previous largest seizure in Singapore occurred in October 2022, when 34.7 kg of rhino horn were discovered in the luggage of a South African man at Changi Airport; that smuggler received a two-year jail sentence in January the following year.
Conservation groups remain concerned. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that, between 2018 and 2021, more than 2,700 rhinos were poached in Africa, with about 90% of those killings occurring in South Africa, primarily in Kruger National Park. South Africa — home to nearly 80% of the world's rhinoceroses — continues to be a poaching hotspot driven by demand from Asia.
Authorities emphasized: continued vigilance at airports and in cargo handling is critical to disrupting wildlife trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable species.