Harboursandport.com: Kaduna - The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone 'B', Kaduna of the Nigerian Customs Service have upped it's effort in combating smuggling of protected species and successfully intercepted a consignment of Pangolin scale and its derivatives within Kebbi state axis of the Zone.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Unit, Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, noted that "The value of this seizure at the International market is Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Naira (#3,955,596,000.00) only."
Briefing the press, Comptroller Shuaibu disclosed that the operatives of the Command acted on actionable intelligence, and stormed the pangolin smugglers' hideout known as (a slaughterhouse) in the suburbs of Zuru Town in Kebbi.
"The team discovered and evacuated sacks of pangolin scales which were transported to the HQ of FOU Zone 'B' in Kaduna.
After careful examination and counting, the pangolin scales weighed 445.45kg."
He explained that the pangolin species is one of the endangered species that is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It is instructive that Nigeria is a signatory to the CITES Convention and all forms of trading in this species are illegal.
The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to partner with CITES to forestall the identified species from going into extinction.
The offence contravene Section 55 (1) paragraph C and I of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023.
The success of this operation lies in robust intelligence sharing between the NCS and Wildlife Office and the resilience of operatives of the Unit to leverage and utilize the coordinates given to them to make this arrest.
We wish to put it on record that the success of the operation is unique in that it was casualty-free.
From empirical evidence, we make bold to say that those involved in the illegal trafficking of endangered species are hiding under it to launder money used in procuring drugs, arms and other illegal merchandise. You can imagine the havoc this may have caused if it had escaped the eagle eyes of our operatives.
The Unit shall continue to enforce the Federal Government policies in line with International best practices, no matter the campaign of calumny against the Service."
Briefing the press, Comptroller Shuaibu disclosed that the operatives of the Command acted on actionable intelligence, and stormed the pangolin smugglers' hideout known as (a slaughterhouse) in the suburbs of Zuru Town in Kebbi.
"The team discovered and evacuated sacks of pangolin scales which were transported to the HQ of FOU Zone 'B' in Kaduna.
After careful examination and counting, the pangolin scales weighed 445.45kg."
He explained that the pangolin species is one of the endangered species that is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It is instructive that Nigeria is a signatory to the CITES Convention and all forms of trading in this species are illegal.
The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to partner with CITES to forestall the identified species from going into extinction.
The offence contravene Section 55 (1) paragraph C and I of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023.
The success of this operation lies in robust intelligence sharing between the NCS and Wildlife Office and the resilience of operatives of the Unit to leverage and utilize the coordinates given to them to make this arrest.
We wish to put it on record that the success of the operation is unique in that it was casualty-free.
From empirical evidence, we make bold to say that those involved in the illegal trafficking of endangered species are hiding under it to launder money used in procuring drugs, arms and other illegal merchandise. You can imagine the havoc this may have caused if it had escaped the eagle eyes of our operatives.
The Unit shall continue to enforce the Federal Government policies in line with International best practices, no matter the campaign of calumny against the Service."
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