The Nigeria Police Force has repatriated a Chinese fugitive, Zhang Shijie, to Guangzhou, China, following his arrest in Ogun State over alleged large-scale smuggling of endangered African Rosewood.
Zhang was arrested by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State, after intelligence linked him to a smuggling case being investigated by Chinese authorities.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, Zhang was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District in China.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on January 7, 2021, over his alleged involvement in the smuggling of about 1,400 tonnes of *Pterocarpus erinaceus*, commonly known as African Rosewood.
The consignment, according to the police, was valued at approximately 15.7 million Chinese Yuan.
The alleged offences were committed between November 2020 and January 2021, after which Zhang reportedly remained outside China.
Intelligence later established that he was in Nigeria, where he had been residing in Ogun State using a Chinese passport that expired on November 11, 2023.
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The police said sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts by INTERPOL NCB Abuja led to his arrest.
Following his arrest, Zhang was repatriated to Guangzhou on September 16, 2026, as part of bilateral police cooperation between Nigeria and China.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthening international police cooperation and maximising INTERPOL tools in tracking fugitives and combating transnational organised crime.
Disu said the force would continue efforts to prevent Nigeria from being used as a safe haven by persons wanted for criminal offences in other countries.
The police also reaffirmed its commitment to working with INTERPOL and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt cross-border criminal networks and ensure that fugitives are brought within the reach of justice.
