Nigeria seizes pangolin scales in $54m record haul

Nigerian authorities have arrested three people after seizing a huge quantity of wild animal parts including pangolin scales and elephant tusks bound for south-east Asia.

The head of Nigeria's customs department said the record illegal haul, worth more than $54m (£39m) was made in the Lekki area of Lagos. 

He said they found 18 tonnes of pangolin scales in addition to nearly a tonne of elephant tusks. 

The animal parts are thought to have come from the Central African Republic and were to be trafficked to south-east Asia. 

The critically endangered pangolin is one of the most trafficked mammals on earth due to the demand for its scales in traditional Chinese medicine.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Nigerian Customs Service