Nigeria’s Customs Agency states that it has confiscated more than 1,600 birds bound to Kuwait, described as the country’s “largest” wildlife-smuggling bust.
The agency intercepted a ring-neck parrot and green and yellow-affected canary at Lagos International Airport by Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS) on 31 July, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
This number is the “largest” seizure based on the number, NC spokesman Abdullahi Maywara told the BBC, in a country where wildlife smuggling is frequently.
Nigeria’s porous borders, comprehensive corruption and weak enforcement have made it a major transit center for Ivory, Pangolin scale and other wildlife products.
The NCS stated that it was able to disrupt birds through regular checks.
The statement said that the shipment did not have the necessary documents and permits. Although birds are common, they need to have appropriate papers.
An investigation is going on to find and prosecute those responsible for illegal cargo, saying that birds will be handed over to the National Parks for rehabilitation before being released in the wild.
Although the seizure was made on 31 July, it was only publicly shared on Tuesday to “threatened” the investigation, Mr. Miwada said.
He said that most of the smuggled animals from Nigeria are bound to Asia.
Nigeria is a signator for a conference on international trade in the endangered species of wild organisms and cits – the international treaty that controls trade in rare plants and animals – but remains a center for illegal wildlife smuggling.
According to Animal Protection Charity Birdlife International, illegal wildlife trade generates $ 7- $ 23BN (£ 5–17bn) annually.
Charity said that Songbirds such as canary in the business of global smuggling due to popular singing competitions are in high demand.
While rare species of wild parrots can get $ 1,000 or more.