Nigeria Police Arrest, Repatriate Chinese Fugitive Wanted Over 1400-Tonne Rosewood Smuggling
According to the Nigeria Police Force, Chinese national Zhang Shijie was arrested in Ogun State and repatriated to Guangzhou, China, over allegations linked to the smuggling of about 1,400 tonnes of African Rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus). The alleged consignment was valued at approximately 15.7 million Chinese yuan.
Police said Zhang was wanted by Chinese authorities under an arrest warrant issued in January 2021. INTERPOL National Central Bureau operatives in Abuja arrested him in the Ogere area of Ogun State on September 10, 2026, after intelligence and surveillance operations. His Chinese passport has reportedly expired.
He was subsequently repatriated to Guangzhou on September 16, 2026, as part of Nigeria-China law-enforcement cooperation. The police said the alleged smuggling occurred between November 2020 and January 2021.
