Chinese nabbed at Lagos airport over attempt to smuggle elephant tusks, Pangolin

*Hands over 678 pieces of elephant tusks to NSREA

*38kg of Pangolin seized

Just one week after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) raised the alarm that illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) from Nigeria and other African nations, including Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Ethiopia and Angola, is worth $19 billion annually, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Command of Nigerian Customs Service ( NCS), Ikeja , Lagos have arrested two Chinese over attempt to smuggle out prohibited items on the export list consisting 678 pieces of Elephant tusks and eight sacks of Pangolin weighing over 381 kilogrammes.

Elehpant tusk

The attempt by the Chinese contravenes Schedule 6 of the Nigerian Exports Prohibition List, which prescribes as illegal any attempt to export wild animals and endangered species.

 

The Chinese nationals according to the Customs Area Comptroller of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, Frank Nduka Allannah have been remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Customs at the Lagos Airport pending further investigation.

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The impounded items consist of  scales of Pangolin, the most trafficked endangered animal that eats it own flesh was meant for export where it would have been used for Chinese medicine.

 

According to  Allannah, the impounded items will be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency ( NESREA).

 

Allannah said eagled-eyed Customs officials at the Export Shed of the MMIA, intercepted the prohibited items while they were being taken out of the country by the Chinese who claimed ownership of the items.

 

He said upon physical examination of prohibited item, the Chinese were subsequently arrested and are still being held in custody.

 

He said the Elephant tusks were in two compartments of 387 unprocessed pieces, while 271 had been processed into combs and hand bangles.

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The Customs boss, however, did not give the street value of the prohibited items, saying Customs personnel in the relevant units were already carrying out the monetary assessment to ascertain the value.

 

On further steps to be taken he said: “We do not intend to give the names of the Chinese nationals yet. They have been arrested and are in Customs custody. They will be handed over to the relevant security agencies.

 

‘”The prohibited items will be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency for further action on the prohibited item.”

 

It would be recalled that IATA and many of leading aviation organisations are partnering with governments and conservation organisations to raise awareness of the illegal trade with passengers, cargo customers and staff and strengthening communication links with enforcement authorities.

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IATA said that the trade is also estimated to be the fourth largest transnational illegal trade, after narcotics, counterfeiting and human trafficking. For example, between January and May 2016, over 600 kg of ivory and rhino horn and over 8000 reptiles were seized at airports around the world, IATA said.

 

The out-going Director-General of IATA, Tony Tyler had told woleshadare.net in Dublin last week that “This criminal activity feeds corruption and violence, with estimated 1,000 park rangers killed in the last 10 years and has even been linked to funding tourism.

 

“Most people have never heard of the world’s most trafficked mammal. Over one million pangolins were estimated to have been poached in 10 years.”

Wole Shadare