Two arrested with seven red-faced monkeys in central Vietnam

• Facebook post helps Vietnamese police track down monkey murderer
• Vietnam orders police to step up crackdown on wildlife smuggling
• Light at tunnel's end: Vietnam pledges tough action against illegal wildlife trade
• Prince William visits Hanoi for wildlife conference
• Vietnam a 'supermarket' for illegal wildlife trade, hearing told

Police in Nghe An Province caught two men with seven red-faced monkeys on Saturday.

Pham Ngoc Thuy, 42, and Nguyen Van Son, 39, said they bought the protected animals in the mountains and expected to sell them in the lowlands.

Six of the monkeys were found dead. The authorities plan to return the sole survivor to Pu Mat National Park.

The police also seized 14kg of wildlife bones from Thuy and Son during the bust.

Pham Ngoc Thuy, 42, and Nguyen Van Son, 39, with the seized monkeys. Photo by VnExpress

The Vietnamese government has called for stronger enforcement of its wildlife smuggling laws to help bring the trade to an end.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh ordered the Ministry of Public Security to launch campaigns to investigate and wipe out smuggling rings.

Related news:

> Light at tunnel's end: Vietnam pledges tough action against illegal wildlife trade

> Facebook post helps Vietnamese police track down monkey murderer