Nigeria Police Arrest, Repatriate Wanted Chinese National Over Smuggling of 1,400 Tonnes African Rosewood

The Nigeria Police Force has repatriated a wanted Chinese national, Zhang Shijie, to China over alleged large-scale smuggling of endangered African rosewood.

Zhang was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District, China, for alleged involvement in the smuggling of about 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, commonly known as African rosewood, valued at about 15.7 million Chinese yuan.

Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters Abuja, Chief Superintendent of Police Ani Iniedu, disclosed this on X on Thursday.

According to the police, the alleged offences were committed between November 2020 and January 2021. An arrest warrant was issued for Zhang on January 7, 2021, after which he left China.

Intelligence later established that he was residing in Ogun State, Nigeria, using a Chinese passport that expired on November 11, 2023.

Following intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts, operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, arrested Zhang on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

He was repatriated to Guangzhou, China, on September 16, 2026, in furtherance of bilateral police cooperation.

Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthening international police cooperation and maximising INTERPOL tools to track fugitives and combat transnational organised crime.

The NPF said it would continue to work with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement agencies to disrupt cross-border criminal networks and prevent Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for persons wanted for criminal offences in other jurisdictions.