ISTANBUL

Singapore on Tuesday said that rhinoceros horns worth over $800,000 were seized from a "suspicious shipment" en route to Vientiane, Laos, in its largest ever such catch.

On Nov. 8, some 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns weighing 35.7 kg (78.7 pounds) were discovered and seized after SATS Group, an air cargo handler at Singapore Changi Airport, alerted the police, the National Parks Board said in a statement Tuesday, on the US social media company Facebook.

"This is the largest-ever seizure of rhinoceros horns in Singapore, surpassing the previous record of 34.7 kg (76.5 pounds) in 2022," it said.

Some 150 kg (330 pounds) of other, unidentified animal parts were also seized, and authorities are still determining their species.

"Singapore takes a zero-tolerance stance on the illegal trade of endangered wildlife species, and their parts and derivatives," it said.

The penalties for transporting animals protected under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) through Singapore without valid permits include a fine of up to S$200,000 ($153,680) for each specimen ($768,403 or the market value of the specimens) and/or up to eight years’ imprisonment.