A woman uses a knife to remove scales from the skin of a live pangolin at the Epe fish market in Lagos, Nigeria
LAGOS, Feb 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — Nigerian government forces have detained four suspects caught trying to smuggle ivory tusks and pangolin scales worth nearly 7.4 million U.S. dollars, local authorities said.
The smuggling attempt was thwarted by the special forces of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Feb 2 in the Lekki area of Lagos, the country’s economic hub, the NCS said in a statement.
The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Wildlife Justice Commission which is fighting transnational organized wildlife crime, the NCS said.
The interception followed credible intelligence by the special forces who raided a vehicle carrying 145 kg of ivory tusks packed in four sacks and 839.4 kg of pangolin scales packed in 15 sacks, the NCS said.
The seizure was the fourth major interception of pangolin scales, ivory and other assorted wildlife parts in Nigeria within the last 13 months. — NNN-XINHUA