Ivory trader jailed for 14 years by Beijing court

A man was sentenced to 14 years in prison with a fine of 60,000 yuan ($8,850) by a Beijing court on Tuesday for illegally buying and selling artworks made from wildlife products, according to The Beijing News.

The 38-year-old man, surnamed Teng, was convicted of trading about 500 kg of ivory as well as other items including rhino horns, bear's paws and pangolins.

He was caught after approaching a craftsman to make the artworks from raw materials last July. Two other men helped to sell the goods, the court said.

The artworks involved in the case are said to be worth nearly 16 million yuan — the biggest seizure in Beijing forestry police's history.

Tian Yuan contributed to this story.