Nigerian authorities have seized 3.76 metric tons of pangolin scales and arrested five people in Lagos, in a follow-up to the recent arrest of a Chinese national suspected of trafficking pangolin scales. The seizure, made in April, is estimated to have come from at least 1,900 dead pangolins, according to the Netherlands-based nonprofit Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), which has partnered with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on the issue.

Working with intelligence shared by WJC, NCS officials on April 2 arrested a suspected broker from a Lagos arts and crafts market, a known hub for the ivory trade, who was found in possession of more than 1 metric ton of pangolin scales. Further investigation led them to a warehouse on the city’s outskirts, where the other individuals were arrested and an additional 2.76 metric tons of pangolin scales were seized. All the arrested suspects are Nigerian nationals, WJC confirmed to Mongabay.

In a statement issued by the NCS, as reported by local media, authorities said they’ve been following the activities of the suspects since the arrest of the Chinese wildlife trafficker in February.

“This seizure is especially significant as it successfully targeted the central figures in a major supply network, including the principal (ringleader) and his two key brokers. Disrupting this network is a substantial achievement,” Olivia Swaak-Goldman, WJC’s executive director, told Mongabay in an email.

Transnational criminal gangs frequently use Nigeria, a major illegal wildlife trade hub in West Africa, to illegally ship pangolin scales from Africa to East Asia to meet the latter’s demand for wildlife products used in traditional medicine. The latest operation comes on the heels of several recent pangolin scale seizures and arrests of suspected “kingpins” and traffickers, including Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.

The NCS-WJC partnership, which began in 2021, has so far conducted 18 joint operations, leading to the seizure of more than 25 metric tons of pangolin scales and more than 1 metric ton of ivory. It has also resulted in the arrest of 42 traffickers and conviction of 12 for wildlife crimes, WJC said. Additionally, in the last three years, no significant seizures of pangolin scales have been reported at any seaports globally — the April seizure in Nigeria is the largest in 2025 to date — indicating a “major disruption” to the illegal trade networks, WJC added.

“This latest investigation stands as a testament to the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement,” Swaak-Goldman said in her email statement. “Leveraging financial and other intelligence gathered from previous arrests, WJC and NCS worked over the past two years to strategically identify and target individuals whose apprehension would have the greatest impact on the trafficking of ivory and pangolin scales through Nigeria.”

NCS told local media that investigations are ongoing in the case and that the agency “does not rule out making further arrests.”

Banner image: Nigerian authorities with pangolin scales seized in Lagos in April. Image courtesy of Nigeria Customs Service.