Customs Seizes Pangolin Scales Worth N10bn in Lagos

Eromosele Abiodun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A,’ Ikeja, has intercepted N10 billion worth of Pangolin scales in Lagos.

Briefing journalists in Lagos, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), said officers of the roving team of the FOU intercepted the consignment.

The Pangolin scales, he added, were recovered in an abandoned warehouse at Isheri Estate, Lagos following an intelligence report received that some Chinese were planning to smuggle the consignment out of the country.
Pangolin is one of the animals classified by the United Nations (UN) as endangered species that needs to be protected in order it not to go into extinction.

According to Ali, based on credible intelligence received by the Comptroller in charge of FOU Zone A, he deployed his men from the Roving Unit to investigate the information.

“After days of painstaking undercover operation, the team was able to identify the warehouse where the consignment was stored and waiting to be smuggled out of the country.

“The consignment was stacked in a 2×20 containers. The containers were immediately evacuated to the promises of FOU Zone A, Ikeja, where physical examination conducted revealed 147 sacks weighing 9,504.1kg of Pangolin scales worth N10 billion was recovered,” the Comptroller General said.

The CGS, who explained Pangolin is on classified absolute prohibition list, said Nigeria, “being a signatory to Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, placed a ban on the export of Pangolin.”
On his part, the Acting Controller of the Federal Operations Unit, Usman Yahaya, said he has revved up the anti-smuggling operations of the command.

According to him, barely one week in office, using credible intelligence, their effort has begun to yield positive results with the interception of 2,065 jerrycans of vegetable oil 25liters each, 1,185 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 1500 jerrycans (25lts) of diesel, with a duty paid value of N67.362 million between January 7th -14th January 2020.

He said the effort was as a result of series of meetings held with their sectional heads, team/patrol leaders where he unveiled the management’s mandate bestowed on him, which includes blockage of all revenue leakages, trade facilitation and intensification of anti-smuggling operations at various entry points: seaports, land borders, and airport within our areas of jurisdiction in the south west zone.

Yahaya, warned smugglers of the danger that lies ahead for them if they do not engage in legitimate trade, as some have started counting their losses.

“You will agree with me that the fight against smuggling can only be won if all hands are on deck,” he said.
He called on all the members of the media and the general public to support the fight against smuggling by providing necessary intelligence that could assist the service in reducing smuggling to its barest minimum, “he said.