Chinese Man Arrested In Lagos With Over N494m Worth Of Elephant Tusks And Pangolin Shells

Nigeria Customs Officers with Mr. Ko Sin Ying

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted sacks of elephant tusks and pangolin shells in a warehouse at No. 38, Ogundana Street, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N493.5 million.

The suspect, a Chinese national, Mr. Ko Sin Ying, was apprehended in connection with the items whose export breaches international protocols and conventions.

Displaying the items at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone 'A' of the Nigerian Customs Service headquarters in Ikeja on Thursday in Lagos, the Unit's Custom Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Garba told newsmen that the warehouse operations team of the Federal Operation Unit led by Assistant Comptroller Mutalib Sule made the seizure at about 2 p.m on Tuesday, February 13.

He said the seizures comprised 55 sacks of pangolin shells weighing 2,001 kilogrammes and valued at N408.32m and 218 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 343kg and valued at N85.2m.

Garba noted that the export of such endangered species of animals like elephant and pangolin breaches international protocols and conventions.

According to him, the United Nations Charter on the Preservation of Endangered Species entails that Customs administrations globally protect wildlife by intercepting illegal trade on such animals.

“It further prevents the killings of endangered species since the tusks are only available after the killing of the elephant or pangolin,” he said.