Chinese gets busted with N494m worth of elephant tusks by Customs officers

Officers of the Nigeria Custom Service, Federal Operations Unit,  Zone A, has arrested a Chinese man and also intercepted sacks of elephant tusks and pangolin shells with a combined duty paid value of N493.5m after acting on intelligence report received.

The officers also arrested a Chinese suspect, Mr. Ko Sin Ying, in connection with the items.
Displaying the items at the FOU headquarters in Ikeja on Thursday, the Controller, NCS, FOU, Mohammed  Garba, said the seizures comprised 55 sacks of pangolin shells weighing 2,001 kilograms and valued at N408.32m and 218 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 343kg and valued at N85.2m.



According to Garba, the items were removed from an apartment on Ogundana Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, by the Warehouse Operations Team led by Assistant Comptroller Mutalib Sule.
He disclosed that the team, acting on intelligence received the previous day, had mounted surveillance on the area and on a tip-off, raided the apartment, where the gatekeeper confirmed the occupant to be a Chinese national.