The Wildlife Justice Commission today welcomed the convictions by a Vietnamese court of two wildlife traffickers caught in possession of nearly one tonne of African pangolin scales, marking a significant step forward in efforts to disrupt transnational wildlife crime networks.
The traffickers, Nguyen The Du and Nguyen Anh Ngoc, were sentenced to eight years in prison each, plus substantial fines, following their conviction on 22 April 2026 by the People’s Court of Bac Ninh.
“Today’s convictions demonstrate the importance of intelligence-led investigations that identify and prosecute the key actors behind criminal networks trafficking threatened species, and will have a clear disruptive effect on the Africa–Asia supply chain,” said Olivia Swaak-Goldman, Executive Director of Wildlife Justice. “By targeting those who coordinate and profit most from these operations, rather than just intercepting shipments, authorities can disrupt the networks driving the trade. The strong sentences handed down by the court send a powerful message that wildlife trafficking is a serious crime that will be met with serious consequences.”
Nguyen The Du and Nguyen Anh Ngoc were arrested on 11 June 2025 in possession of 900kg of African pangolin scales. The operation marked the largest seizure of African pangolin scales reported in Asia in 2025.
Pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, and their international trade is largely prohibited. All eight pangolin species are protected under international law, and three species are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Since its founding in 2015, the work of Wildlife Justice has disrupted 114 wildlife trafficking networks, many of them trafficking pangolins.
