Nigerian officials have arrested a Chinese national suspected of masterminding a transnational smuggling operation of pangolin scales, Netherlands-based nonprofit Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) said in a press release last week.
The arrest is linked to the seizure of more than 7 metric tons of pangolin scales from a warehouse in Ogun state in August 2024. WJC credited the successful investigation to collaboration between its staff and investigators with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
“It was more than 5 months of persistent, on-the-ground surveillance to locate him and working with NCS to facilitate his arrest,” Olivia Swaak-Goldman, WJC executive director, told Mongabay by email.
The WJC-NCS investigation is part of wider efforts to disrupt wildlife trafficking networks in Nigeria, the main illegal wildlife trade hub in West Africa and a key shipping link to markets in East Asia. WJC says the collaboration has enabled 37 arrests, seizures of more than 21.5 metric tons of pangolin scales, and 12 convictions since July 2021.
“Our approach utilizes a range of intelligence and investigative techniques, including undercover operations, covert surveillance, financial intelligence analysis, and lifestyle investigations,” Swaak-Goldman said.
An estimated 8.5 million pangolins were taken from the wild in West and Central Africa for the illegal trade from 2014-2021, said Maliki Wardjomto, a coordinator with wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC, which supports law enforcement agencies in the region. “The government’s intensified crackdown on wildlife trafficking, alongside partnerships like the [WJC-NCS] collaboration, is critical.”
The arrest of the Chinese national comes as pangolin scale seizures have decreased sharply worldwide, including in China. WJC told Mongabay that while the cause of the decline isn’t entirely clear, smarter enforcement tactics in Nigeria are putting pressure on criminal groups.
“It is possible that shipments continue to reach Asia undetected due to improved concealment techniques or shifts in smuggling methods. However, we do know that increased law enforcement efforts in Nigeria have significantly disrupted trafficking networks, leading to changing criminal dynamics,” Swaak-Goldman said.
One recent study attributed the decline in global seizures to the Chinese government’s tougher approach to its domestic black market. Earlier this year, China set a quota for pangolin scale usage in traditional medicine at 1 metric ton per year — a steep reduction from its 2015 quota of 25 metric tons, but still enough for some experts to worry it could fuel illicit trade.
“We want a situation whereby there’s no underground Chinese traditional medicine still using pangolin scales,” said Olajumoke Morenikeji, West Africa regional chair of the Pangolin Specialist Group at the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority.
WJC told Mongabay the evidence gathered in its investigation will be used to prosecute the case.
“We hope this suspect will be issued with an appropriate sentence according to the law in Nigeria, and we will be supporting NCS to prepare the evidence that clearly demonstrates the seriousness of the level of the crimes committed,” Swaak-Goldman said.
Banner image of a ground pangolin by Adam Tusk via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
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