The Nigeria Police Force has sent a Chinese man, Zhang Shijie, back to China after arresting him in Nigeria. He was accused of large-scale smuggling of endangered African rosewood.
Zhang was wanted by authorities in China. The Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District said he was involved in smuggling around 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, which is known as African rosewood.
Chief Superintendent of Police Ani Iniedu, the Force Public Relations Officer in Abuja, shared the details on X on Thursday. He said the consignment was worth about 15.7 million Chinese yuan.
The alleged crimes took place between November 2020 and January 2021. An arrest warrant for Zhang was issued on January 7, 2021. After that, he stayed outside China.
Police later learned that Zhang was living in Ogun State, Nigeria. He was using a Chinese passport that expired on November 11, 2023.
After gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance, INTERPOL operatives arrested Zhang on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
He was sent back to Guangzhou, China, on September 16, 2026. This was part of efforts to improve police cooperation between Nigeria and China.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, stressed that the Nigeria Police Force is committed to enhancing international police partnerships. He said they would use INTERPOL tools to track down criminals and fight organized crime.
The Nigeria Police Force plans to keep working with INTERPOL and other global law enforcement agencies. They aim to break up cross-border crime networks and stop Nigeria from being a refuge for wanted criminals.
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