A record eight tonnes of pangolin scales found in a container from Nigeria have been unveiled by officials in Hong Kong. Customs officers said they seized 8,300kg of pangolin scales and 2,100kg of ivory tusks hidden inside a container declared to be carrying frozen beef, reports the AFP news agency.
Officials estimated the value of the haul at HK$62m ($8m; £6.11m). “This is a record high in quantity for a seizure of pangolin scales,” the customs department said in a statement. A man and a woman from a trading company in the city have been arrested, the department said. Pangolins are sought after for the unproven medicinal properties of their scales – which are made from nothing more than keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair.
