Nigerian authorities say they have seized 120 tonnes of imported animal hides and skins in Lagos city.
They were intercepted on suspicion that were already processed with chemicals for use in leather industries yet they were being sold as foodstuff, the national food and drug agency, Nafdac, said.
In Nigeria, cow hides are cooked as a popular delicacy known as “ponmo”.
It’s not yet clear from which countries they were imported from.
Nafdac said seven suspects have been arrested.
It added that the raids on warehouses were carried out following “several complaints” by members of the public regarding the distribution and sale of such products it described as dangerous.
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Two held as Mozambican police seize 11 tusks
Mozambican authorities have seized 11 elephant ivory tusks in a residence in the western city of Tete.
Two people have been detained in connection with the case.
The tusks were in a sack and weighed about 47 kilos (103 lbs) and were to be sold at about $16 (£12) a kilo, the police said.
The detained suspects have denied involvement in the crime saying they only brokered the sale.
The country’s National Criminal Investigation Service spokeswoman, Celina Roque, said police officers pretended to be buyers so as to arrest the suspects.
Last month, the police seized 50 elephant tusks from a house on the outskirts of the capital Maputo.
Such cases are common in Mozambique and many do not come to the attention of the authorities – even as poaching remains a threat to wildlife.
Unlicensed slaughter of any protected or prohibited species is punishable by penalties ranging from 12 to 16 years in prison.
Source: BBC
