Thursday, October 10
Scrimshaw walrus tusk confiscated from 24-year-old at BER
A 24-year-old Russian woman was having her bags checked by customs officers at BER airpot on Saturday, when they spotted something unusual. She had just arrived on a flight from Georgia and – although she attempted to leave via the exit that states “nothing to declare”, she was carrying a 60-centimeter, two-kilogram walrus tusk in her luggage. It was a gift, she claimed, from her father. The object was wrapped in a bed sheet. Customs officers confiscated the animal bone.
The walrus is a protected species, and anyone importing the ivory of the animal must meet special requirements. The object was specially decorated with scrimshaw – a form of elaborate engraving in ivory originally developed by sailors in whaling ships. Depicted here were nautical scenes and a map of the Bering straits.
According to the main customs office in Potsdam, the woman now faces a fine of 10,000 euros.
