The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, Customs Area Command has carried out a successful operation leading to the bust of a cartel of pangolin scales traffickers in Nigeria.
Working on credible intelligence gathering, the operation was jointly carried out under the leadership of Comptroller Michael Toyin Awe with the support of Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), leading to the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of 3,765kg of pangolin scales in the Lekki Area of Lagos.
The operation carried out on April 2, 2025 led to the arrest of a Chinese national, Zheng Chao Hong also known as Zheng Gao Peng, was a follow-up to the one carried out in February 2025 by the joint efforts of the Customs Police Unit and WJC.
A statement issued by the Command Public Relation Officer, Affiong Uya Momodu, a Superintendent of Customs, on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, said operatives of the service had been keeping surveillance on the activities of the suspects in the Lekki area of Lagos State since the arrest of February 2025, before pouncing on them to effect the latest arrests and seizures.
“Nigeria Customs Service has been continuing investigations into the organized criminal networks trafficking in endangered wildlife and exporting wildlife products to Asia. This operation followed a recent bust of a major trafficking network in Nigeria that resulted in the arrest of a Chinese national Zheng Chao Hong, also known as Zheng Gao Peng, in February 2025 by the joint efforts of the Customs Police Unit and WJC,” the statement said.
The statement affirmed that the latest seizure of 3,765kg of pangolin scales marked the major seizure globally in 2025; making a total of 25 tonnes of pangolin scales seized since 2021 when collaboration between NCS and WJC began.
“This seizure of 3,765kg of pangolin scales marks the first major global seizure of its kind in 2025, highlighting both the persistent threat to pangolin species and the heightened vigilance of the NCS in dismantling these criminal networks. Additionally, it raises the total amount of pangolin scales seized through the joint efforts of the NCS and WJC to over 25 tonnes since the start of the collaboration in 2021,” the statement said.
Speaking on the successful operation, The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Awe, reaffirmed the commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), and the management team not to relent in on the efforts to encourage and give maximum support in facilitating legitimate trade, whilst sending a strong signal that the service will equally not relent in its efforts in fighting wildlife crime to a standstill.
“We won’t tolerate it anywhere, not through our airports, seaports, land borders or even within the community,” Awe said.
“While adding that “Investigations are on-going, and NCS does not rule out making further arrests,” the Customs Area Controller expressed his appreciation for the partnership with Wildlife Justice Commission.
