The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 9,493 kg of pangolin scales in one of the largest wildlife crime busts in recent years.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
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,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi added that the historic operation conducted in collaboration with WJC had showcased the NCS’s unwavering commitment to dismantling illegal networks trafficking endangered species, particularly across Africa.
According to him, the two coordinated operations, which took place on Aug. 8, targeted criminal syndicates involved in the international trade of pangolin scales.
Adeniyi noted that in the Kano/Kaduna axis, officers successfully 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.
“”This joint operation marks the largest seizure of pangolin scales globally since January 2020, underscoring NCS’s critical role in combating wildlife crime.
“Since 2021, the NCS, in partnership with the Wildlife Justice Commission, has seized nearly 20 tons of pangolin scales, an equivalent of over 30,000 pangolins lost to illegal poaching and trade, Adeyini 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.
Adeniyi said that the cumulative total of 9.493 tonnes of pangolin scales seized in a single day marked a milestone in Nigeria’s fight against wildlife crime and represented the largest pangolin scale seizure in one day worldwide since January 2020. (NAN)
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