By Isaac Kertyo
The Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force has busted a gang specialising in smuggling pangolin scales and elephant tusks out of the country.
The customs team led by Deputy Comptroller, Ahmadu Shuaibu reportedly recovered 839.4kg of pangolin scales and 145kg of elephant tusks valued at N3.16 billion in a Toyota Sienna bus in Lekki, Lagos.
Four Nigerians were arrested in connection with the seizures based on credible information.
According to the outgoing spokesman of the Service and newly-promoted Comptroller of Kebbi State command, Joseph Attah, the strike force team intercepted the Toyota Sienna bus loaded with 15 sacks of pangolin scales and four sacks of elephant tusks.
Attah said the service was collaborating with experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Department of Forestry, to conduct a DNA test on the pangolin scales to know the country where the animals were killed.
He noted that some foreigners with the active connivance of Nigerians were bent on using the country as transit route for illegal wildlife trade.
