In April 2025, Nigerian officials arrested a Chinese national suspected of masterminding a transnational smuggling operation of pangolin scales. The arrest was linked to the seizure of more than 7 metric tons of pangolin scales in Nigeria in August 2024, following more than five months of on-the-ground surveillance. The seizure was estimated to be worth over $1.4 million USD, and authorities expected the arrest of the suspect to have lasting disruptive effects on the Nigeria-based criminal syndicates supplying the illegal wildlife trade.