Nigerian police on Wednesday said they had arrested and deported a Chinese man who had trafficked 12 tonnes of pangolin scales to China.
Nigeria deports pangolin scales trafficker to China
The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja,
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Pangolins are among the world's most endangered species and their scales are prized in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for various ailments, although there is no scientific evidence they have medicinal value.
Nigeria is major hub for traffickers sending their scales to Asia.
Nigerian police said they had "successfully arrested and repatriated a Chinese fugitive, Cai Jinlian" to Shanghai to face wildlife trafficking charges.
The 42-year-old smuggled "approximately 12 tonnes of tree pangolin scales" from Nigeria to China in two consignments between November 2018 and April 2019, police said in a statement.
An international arrest warrant was issued in 2020 after Cai fled from China to Egypt before relocating to Nigeria.
He was arrested in the Nigerian capital Abuja on July 18 and sent to Shanghai on July 29.