Less than one month after making a similar seizure, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have swooped on a house in Ikeja from where 329 sacks of Pangolin Scales weighing 8,492kg with a duty paid value of N1,732,857,393.96 were found.
Briefing journalists in Lagos, Controller of the Unit; Comptroller Mohammed Uba disclosed that a Chinese national; Mr. Li Chaomin was found in the apartment which is located at 64, Opebi Road in Ikeja.
Giving details, the Comptroller said ‘’on Monday 5th March 2018 at about 1600hrs, the Warehouse Operations Team led by Assistant Comptroller Mutalib Sule while on credible intelligence, again searched an apartment at No. 64 Opebi Road, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja Lagos’, from where the banned items were discovered .
He confirmed that the arrest of the Chinese made it the second to be so arrested, in connection with such items which are banned from export.
“You will recall that in the month of February also, we evacuated 55 sacks of the same pangolin and 218 pieces of elephant tusks, which were all, handed over to NESREA”, he added.
According to the Comptroller, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered species (CITES 1973) entails that Customs Administration all over the world protects wild life by intercepting illegal trade on such animals. As you are aware, Pangolins are the only known mammals that have large and protective keratin scales covering their skin. After a surge in poaching across Asia, the international illegal wildlife trade is now also a growing threat to African pangolin species. These scales were sourced from other African countries to be trafficked.
He lamented that body parts of these endangered animals are in high demands by unscrupulous person. “The tragedy of the unsustainable demand for their body parts in the illegal wildlife trade, the better chance they have from being saved from extinction. It was based on that the World Pangolin Day was set side globally to talk about pangolins and to help spread awareness about one of the world’s most vulnerable but least-known species. This year’s Pangolin Day was held February 17 to that effect”, he added.
“The seized items and the suspect will be handed over to Nigeria Environment Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for further investigation in collaboration towards protecting our natural habitat and protecting our endangered species just as you witnessed last week”, he concluded”.
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