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Customs officials at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport have intercepted more than 1,600 parrots and canaries being smuggled to Kuwait without the required permits — marking one of the country’s largest wildlife seizures in years.
The live cargo, seized on July 31, included ring-necked parakeets and yellow-fronted canaries, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said in a statement late Monday. Officials confirmed the shipment lacked the mandatory Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) documentation and proof of legal acquisition.
Nigeria, a signatory to CITES, has in recent years emerged as a transit hub for the trafficking of endangered species and wildlife products. Parrots, songbirds, and birds of prey are among the most targeted species in the global exotic pet trade, private collections, and for their feathers, according to the United Nations 2024 World Wildlife Report.
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Customs Area Controller at Lagos airport, Michael Awe, warned traffickers that his officers remain vigilant.
“No illegal shipment will slip through the cracks under my watch at the airport, because the eagle eyes of my command officers are everywhere to detect and intercept,” Awe declared.
Investigations are ongoing to identify those behind the illicit consignment. Authorities say the seized birds will be handed over to Nigeria’s National Parks Service for care and possible repatriation to their natural habitats.
This operation is the latest in a string of crackdowns aimed at dismantling wildlife trafficking networks that exploit West Africa’s strategic location for illegal exports to Asia and the Middle East.
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