The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), has successfully apprehended the shipper and supplier of a 40ft container filled with illegal wildlife products. The container was intercepted in April 2024 by Vietnamese authorities, and the joint operation marks a significant milestone in the fight against wildlife trafficking.
The shipper and supplier, who were arrested on May 16 and 17, respectively, are currently facing charges for violating Nigeria’s customs laws and wildlife protection regulations.
According to Comptroller Mike Ugbagu, in charge of FOU Zone C of the NCS, said the arrests are a testament to the NCS’s commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and its determination to bring perpetrators to justice., “the successful operation is a result of meticulous planning and coordination between the NCS and WJC.”
He noted that the illegal wildlife products seized in the operation included ivory, rhino horns, and pangolin scales, with an estimated value of millions of dollars. The seizure and arrests have dealt a significant blow to the wildlife trafficking syndicate operating in Nigeria and beyond.
He said the NCS-WJC partnership has been instrumental in the success of the operation, demonstrating the effectiveness of collaboration in combating wildlife trafficking.
Also speaking, the officer in charge of the NCS Special Wildlife office, Asst. Compt. Abimbola Isifiade, said the service will ensure that all those who benefit from the crime are arrested.
“The efficient and multi-focused response by NCS to the seizure in Vietnam demonstrates that it is not business as usual concerning the Nigeria-Vietnam trafficking corridor. Also, the NCS’s success in apprehending both the Shipper and supplier was built on the 3 years of successful arrests and prosecutions of key members of local and international ivory trafficking networks. NCS will continue to follow the money to find all those who benefit from this crime,” Isifiade stated.
