The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it seized 9,493kg of pangolin scales in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos, in one of the largest wildlife crime busts in recent years.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
Mr Adeniyi said that the feat was the service’s bold step in the global fight against wildlife trafficking,
“The Kano/Kaduna operation yielded 2,293 kg of pangolin scales, leading to two arrests.
“The Lagos operation made a seizure of 7.2 tonnes of pangolin scales, with two additional arrests.
“Four persons were arrested in connection with these operations: two in Kano and two in Lagos.
“These seizures bring the total amount of pangolin scales intercepted by the NCS and the Wildlife Justice Commission(WJC) to nearly 20 tonnes since 2021, representing the loss of over 30,000 pangolins,” Mr Adeniyi said.
He said that the historic operation conducted with the WJC, highlights the NCS’s commitment to dismantling illegal networks trafficking endangered species, particularly across Africa.
He said that the two coordinated operations, which took place on August 8, targeted criminal syndicates involved in the international trade of pangolin scales.
He noted that in the Kano/Kaduna axis, officers seized 2.293 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrested two suspects.
He said that a major haul of 7.2 tonnes of scales were recovered in Lagos, simultaneously, where two more suspects were apprehended.
“These illicit goods, sourced from other West African countries, were being stockpiled for shipment to buyers in Asia,” Mr Adeniyi said.
The NCS vowed to intensify efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We are actively working with other law enforcement agencies to identify additional suspects involved in these cases.
“We will not rest until all those responsible for these heinous acts are apprehended and prosecuted,” NCS said.
Mr Adeniyi said the total of 9.493 tonnes of pangolin scales represents the largest pangolin scale seizure in one day worldwide since January 2020.
He said that as traffickers continued to exploit new smuggling routes, the NCS was expanding its enforcement operations beyond ports and major cities.
He said the NCS was focusing on supply routes in northern Nigeria and border areas where illegal wildlife products frequently entered the country
(NAN)
