The Wildlife Ministry said today that 5,000 African tusks confiscated by the Customs in 2012 would be destroyed next month with maximum security.

Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said the tusks belonging to 2,500 African tuskers would be destroyed following a religious ceremony.

“The religious ceremony would be held in honour of the killed elephants. The stock will be destructed at the Holcim Cement Plant in January 26 in front of the members of NGOs, Customs and the Media,” he said.

He said the international law is as such that confiscated ivory must be destroyed.

“Many international organisations are concerned about the ivory smuggling,” he said.

Sri Lanka Customs on May 14, 2012 seized a stockpile of African ivory valued over US $3 million, which was being smuggled out from Kenya and was on its way to the international market through Dubai via the Port of Colombo.

The Customs after a formal inquiry confiscated the entire shipment, pending destruction of the ivory in public as per the international law. (Darshana Sanjeewa)