Three bowls made of rhino horn, part of the seized items in a crackdown on the illegal trade of products made from rare and endangered wild animals, are exhibited in a police bureau in Meishan, Sichuan, on Jan 5, 2015. [Photo/IC]

"Ivory of African elephants, 80 yuan ($12.87) per gram, nicely carved…" This is just one of the ads Yang Xiaoxiao (pseudonym) posted on her WeChat.

The 28-year-old former actress had been trading illegal rhino horn and ivory crafts, and other products made from rare and threatened species to her friends via the social network platform since October, 2013.

The unlawful transactions were mostly completed via online payment and bank transfer so that they seemed less conspicuous.