The Beijing customs officers have seized four polished ivories, eight ivory carvings and a leopard hide, from an international mail recently, the Beijing Customs announced on Tuesday.

A source with the Beijing Customs said that this was the first time local customs officers have ever found ivory and ivory products in the mail since 2004. The smuggled leopard hide was the first seized.

All the seized goods were packed inside a postal paper box. The box was mailed from Nigeria in the name of "document" and the receiver is an individual in Beijing.

China bans the import and export of ivory and trade of ivory products and relevant Chinese laws stipulate that smuggling of ivory and leopard hide is a crime.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2005)