Vietnamese cops find 20 dried monkeys

Hanoi - Police in Vietnam said on Friday they had found the dried carcasses of 20 monkeys after stopping a bus on the outskirts of Hanoi.

Police stopped the bus for a traffic violation late on Wednesday evening, Nguyen Tien Viet, deputy police chief of Soc Son District said.

"We are identifying the species of the primates," he told dpa.

The animals were found in two "suspicious" looking sacks which omitted a strong smell, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

The driver reportedly said he had been asked to transport the sacks by a man at the bus station but did not know who would pick them up.

Photos of the monkeys show the mummified carcasses arranged with their arms over their heads.

Vietnam is home to some of the rarest primates in the world, with five of the top 25 most endangered species of monkey globally.

The animals are consumed for their meat, which is considered a delicacy. Some are also used for traditional medicine.