The pangolin scales found by Vietnamese customs officers in a flight from Nigeria. Photo provided.
Forty-two kilograms of scales of pangolin, a species threatened with extinction in the near future, was found on a flight from Nigeria, according to the customs office of Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City.
The scales were found in a consignment labeled as personal belongings, according to the office's statement.
The scales were identified as of African tree pangolins (Manis tricuspis), which range across central Africa, from Senegal to Keyna in the east and northern Angola in the south.
Authorities confiscated the batch for further investigations.
African tree pangolins are hunted for their meat and scales. The scales are used to make boots and shoes and are also used as indigenous ornaments and in medicines.
Vietnam bans the trade of pangolins and products made of pangolins.