HO CHI MINH CITY, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Customs officers in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City have detected nearly 500 kilograms of elephant tusks hidden in two containers, the municipal Customs Department said Wednesday.

The smuggled tusks were found on Tuesday among wood powder, sawdust and timbers in the two containers at Cat Lai Port in the city. They were imported from Africa by a local firm in southern Binh Duong province.

Last month, the city's customs officers unearthed three similar smuggling cases, confiscating a total of over 3.5 tons of elephant tusks.