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Proposed amendment to Article 234 of the 2015 Penal Code:
Article 234. Offences against regulations on protection of wild animals
1. A person who commits any of the following acts, except in the circumstances specified in Article 242 and Article 244 of this Code, shall be liable to a fine from VND 100,000,000 to VND 600,000,000, non-custodial reform for up to 03 years, or imprisonment from 06 months to 03 years.
a) Illegally hunting, killing, raising, keeping, possessing, transporting, trading animals in the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IIB or CITES Appendix II valued from VND 300.000.000 150,000,000 to under VND 1.000.000.000 500,000,000 or other wildlife valued from VND 600.000.000 300,000,000 to under VND 1.400.000.000 700,000,000 or with illicit gains from VND 100.000.000 50,000,000 to under VND 400.000.000 200,000,000;
b) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading individuals, body parts, or products of animals on the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IIB or CITES Appendix II valued from VND 300.000.000 150,000,000 to under VND 1.000.000.000 500,000,000, or other wild animals valued from VND 600.000.000 300,000,000 to under VND 1.400.000.000 700,000,000, or illicitly gaining from VND 100.000.000 50,000,000 to under VND 400.000.000 200,000,000;
c) Illegally hunting, killing, raising, keeping, storing, transporting, or trading animals, individuals, body parts, or products of animals, illicitly gaining or valued below the level specified in point a, point b of this Clause, while having incurred an administrative sanctions for any of the offenses specified in Article 234 or Article 244 of this Code, or having unspent conviction of one of these two crimes.
2. This offence committed in one of the following circumstances shall be subject to a fine from 300.000.000 600,000,000 VND to 1.500.000.000 3,000,000,000 VND, or imprisonment from 03 years to 07 years:
a) Committed by an organized group;
b) Abusing position or power;
c) Abusing the name of an agency or organisation;
d) Using banned hunting equipment;
đ) Hunting in a no-hunting area or during a prohibited time;
e) Transporting or trading across the border;
g) Animals, individuals, body parts, or products of animals on the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IIB or CITES Appendix II valued from VND 1,000,000,000 500,000,000 to under VND 2,000,000,000 1,000,000,000, or of other wild animals valued from VND 1,400,000,000 700,000,000 to under VND 1,500,000,000 500.000.000;
h) Illicitly gaining from 200,000,000 VND to under 500,000,000 VND;
i) Dangerous recidivism.
3. This offence committed in any of the following circumstances carries a penalty of 07 - 12 years' imprisonment:
a) Animals, individuals, body parts, or products of animals on the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IIB or CITES Appendix II, valued at 2.000.000.000 1,000,000,000 VND or more, or of other wild animals valued at 3.000.000.000 1,500,000,000 VND or more;
b) Illicitly gaining 1.000.000.000 500,000,000 VND or more.
4. The offender may also be liable to a fine from 100,000,000 VND to 400,000,000 VND, prohibition from holding certain positions, practising certain professions, or performing certain jobs from 01 year to 05 years.
5. Commercial legal entities committing crimes specified in this Article shall be penalised as follows:
a) Committing this offence in any of the circumstances specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall be subject to a fine from 600,000,000 VND to 2,000,000,000 VND;
b) Committing this offence in any of the circumstances specified in points a, d, đ, e, g, h, and i of Clause 2 of this Article shall be subject to a fine from 2,000,000,000 VND to 6,000,000,000 VND;
c) Committing this offence in any of the circumstances specified in Clause 3 of this Article shall be subject to a fine from 6,000,000,000 VND to 12,000,000,000 VND, or suspension of operation for a fixed term from 06 months to 03 years;
d) Committing this offence in any of the circumstances specified in Article 79 of this Code shall have their operation permanently suspended;
đ) Commercial legal entities may also be liable to a fine from 100,000,000 VND to 400,000,000 VND, prohibition from doing business, operating in certain specific fields, or raising capital from 01 year to 03 years.
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Table: Estimated values of wildlife product types and wildlife volumes and quantities as proposed in the draft revision of the Penal Code:
Article 244
(as draft)
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Market price - VND
(1 kg)
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Clause 1
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Clause 2
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Clause 3
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Product
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Weight (kg)
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Total price (VND)
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Weight (kg)
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Total price (VND)
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Weight (kg)
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Total price (VND)
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Ivory
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17,500,000
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2 - 20
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35,000,000 - 350,000,000
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20 - 90
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350,000,000 -1,575,000,000
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>90
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1,575,000,000
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Rhino horn
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350,000,000
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0.05 - 1
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17,500,000 -350,000,000
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1 - 9
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350,000,000 - 3,150,000,000
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>9
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3,150,000,000
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Pangolin scale (Chinese pangolin, Sunda pangolin)
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5,780,000
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3 - 60
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17,340,000 -346,800,000
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60 - 250
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346,800,000 - 1,445,000,000
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>250
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1,445,000,000
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Pangolin scale (other pangolin species)
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2,380,000
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3 - 60
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7,140,000 -142,000,000
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60 - 250
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142,800,000 - 595,000,000
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>250
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595,000,000
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Pangolin scale (proposed)
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4,080,000
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5 - 90
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20,400,000 -367,200,000
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90 - 400
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367,200,000 - 1,632,000,000
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>400
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1,632,000,000
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Proposed amendment to Article 244 of the 2015 Penal Code:
Article 244. Offences against regulations on protection of endangered and rare animals
1. Any person who violates regulations on the protection of animals on the list of endangered, and rare species prioritised for protection or the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IB or CITES Appendix I in any of the following circumstances shall be liable to a fine of from 1,000,000,000 VND to 4,000,000,000 VND or face a penalty of from 01 year to 05 years’ imprisonment:
a) Illegally hunting, killing, raising, keeping, transporting, or trading animals on the list of endangered, and rare species prioritized protection;
b) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading animals, vital body parts or products of animals specified at point a of this Clause;
c) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading elephant ivory with a quantity ranging from 02 kilogram to under 20 kilogram; rhino horn with a quantity ranging from 50 grams to under 01 kilogram; pangolin scales ranging from 03kg 05 kilogram to under 60kg 90 kilogram;
d) Illegally hunting, killing, raising, keeping in captivity, transporting, or trading animals on the list of endangered, and rare species of forest fauna and flora Group IB or CITES Appendix I that are not species specified at point a of this Clause, in a quantity of from 03 to 07 individuals of class mammalia, from 07 to 10 individuals of class birds or reptiles, or from 10 to 15 individuals of other classes;
đ) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading individuals, vital body parts of from 03 to 07 individuals of class mammalia, from 07 to 10 individuals of class birds or reptiles, or from 10 to 15 individuals of other classes specified at point d of this Clause.
e) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading body parts, products of animals that do not fall under point c of this Clause, with a value from 50,000,000 VND to 150,000,000 VND, or earning illicit profits ranging from 50,000,000 VND to under 200,000,000 VND;
g) Illegally hunting, killing, raising, keeping in captivity, transporting, or trading animals, or illegally storing, transporting, or trading specimens, vital body parts, body parts, or products of animals with a quantity or value below the thresholds specified at points c, d, đ, and e đ of this Clause, while having incurred an administrative penalties for any of the offenses stipulated in Article 234 or Article 244 of this Code or having an unspent conviction of one of these two crimes.
g) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading animals on the list of endangered, and rare species prioritised for protection with a value ranging from 100,000,000 VND to under 2,000,000,000 VND.
2. This offence committed in any of the following circumstances carries a penalty of 05 - 10 years' imprisonment:
a) The quantity of animals, individuals, or vital body parts of from 03 to 07 individuals of class mammals, from 07 to 10 individuals of class birds or reptiles, or from 10 to 15 individuals of other animal classes specified at point a, Clause 1 of this Article;
b) The quantity of animals, individuals, or vital body parts of from 08 to 11 individuals of class mammals, from 11 to 15 individuals of class birds or reptiles, or from 16 to 20 individuals of other animal classes specified at point d, Clause 1 of this Article;
c) From 01 to 02 individuals of elephants, rhinos, or body parts inseparable from the life of from 01 to 02 individuals of elephants, rhinos; from 03 to 05 individuals of bears, tigers, or vital body parts from 03 to 05 individuals of bears, tigers;
d) Elephant ivory with a quantity ranging from 20 kilograms to under 90 kilograms; rhino horn with a quantity ranging from 01 kilogram to under 09 kilograms; pangolin scales with a quantity ranging from 60 90 kilograms to under 250 400 kilograms;
đ) Body parts, products of animals that do not fall under point d of this Clause, with a value of from 150,000,000 VND to 300,000,000 VND, or earning illicit profits ranging from 200,000,000 VND to under 500,000,000 VND;
e) Committed by an organized group;
g) Abusing one's position or power, or abusing the name of an agency or organisation;
h) Using banned hunting equipment;
i) Hunting in a no-hunting area or during a prohibited time;
k) Transporting and trading across borders;
l) Dangerous recidivism.
l) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading animals on the List of Endangered and Rare Species prioritised for protection with a value ranging from 2,000,000,000 VND to under 18,000,000,000 VND.
3. This offence committed in any of the following circumstances carries a penalty of 10 - 15 years' imprisonment:
a) The quantity of animals, individuals, or vital body parts of 08 or more individuals of mammals, 11 or more individuals of birds or reptiles, or 16 or more individuals of other animal classes specified at point a, Clause 1 of this Article;
b) The quantity of animals, individuals, or vital body parts of 12 or more individuals of mammals, 16 or more individuals of birds or reptiles, or 21 or more individuals of other animal classes specified at point d, Clause 1 of this Article;
c) From 03 or more individuals of elephants, rhinos, or vital body parts of 03 or more individuals of elephants, rhinos; 06 or more individuals of bears, tigers, or vital body parts of 06 or more individuals of bears, tigers;
d) Elephant ivory with a quantity of 90 kilograms or more; rhino horn with a quantity of 09 kilograms or more; pangolin scales with a quantity of 250 400 kilograms or more;
đ) Body parts, products of animals that do not fall under point d of this Clause, with a value of 300,000,000 VND or more, or earning illicit profits exceeding 500,000,000 VND;
đ) Illegally storing, transporting, or trading animals on the List of Endangered and Rare Species prioritised for protection with a value of 18,000,000,000 VND or more.
4. The offender may also be liable to a fine of between 100,000,000 VND and 400,000,000 VND, prohibited from holding certain positions, practising certain professions, or doing certain jobs for a period of between 01 year and 05 years.
5. Commercial legal entities committing the crime specified in this Article shall be penalised as follows:
a) Committing this offense in any of the circumstances specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall be liable to a fine of from 2,000,000,000 VND to 10,000,000,000 VND;
b) Committing this offense in any of the circumstances specified in points a, b, c, d, đ, g, h, i and k of Clause 2 of this Article shall be liable to a fine of from 10,000,000,000 VND to 20,000,000,000 VND;
c) Committing this offense in any of the circumstances specified in Clause 3 of this Article shall be liable to a fine of between 20,000,000,000 VND and 30,000,000,000 VND or suspension of operation for a definite period of from 06 months to 03 years;
d) Committing this offense in any of the circumstances specified in Article 79 of the Penal Code shall be liable to permanent suspension of operation;
đ) Commercial legal entities may also be liable to a fine of from 600,000,000 VND to 1,200,000,000 VND, prohibited from doing business, operating in certain fields, or raising capital for a period of from 01 year to 03 years.
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