The Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has arrested a suspected smuggler with a consignment of pangolin scales valued at N3,955,596,000.00 within the Kebbi State axis.
The Zone B Controller, Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, who stated this in a statement, noted that the prime suspect was currently evading arrest.
According to him, his operatives acted on actionable intelligence to raid a hideout known as “slaughterhouse” on the outskirts of Zuru town in Kebbi State on Friday, May 24, 2024, uncovered and confiscated the sacks of pangolin scales.
He said after meticulous examination and weighing, the pangolin scales amounted to 445.45kg, adding that “the estimated value of the seizure in the international market is N3,955,596,000.00.”
He disclosed that the pangolin species was listed as one of the endangered species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
“As a signatory to the CITES Convention, Nigeria prohibits all forms of trading in this species, and the Nigeria Customs Service is committed to collaborating with CITES to prevent the trafficking of endangered species and safeguarding them from extinction,” he said.