The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has repatriated a Chinese national, Zhang Shijie, who was wanted in China over an alleged smuggling operation involving about 1,400 tonnes of endangered African rosewood.
Zhang, who had been wanted since 2021, was arrested by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, on September 10, 2026, in the Ogere area of Ogun State.
The police said the suspect was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the Haikou Customs District in China in connection with the alleged smuggling of Pterocarpus erinaceus, commonly known as African rosewood. 
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, the Chinese authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Zhang on January 7, 2021.
The alleged offences, the police said, were committed between November 2020 and January 2021 and involved approximately 1,400 tonnes of the endangered tree species.
The consignment was valued at about 15.7 million Chinese yuan, according to the Chinese authorities cited by the police.
The Force said the arrest followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts by INTERPOL NCB Abuja.
“Following sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigative efforts, operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja arrested the fugitive on 10 September 2026 in the Ogere area of Ogun State,” the statement said.
The police disclosed that Zhang had remained outside China following the alleged offences and was subsequently traced to Nigeria, where he had been residing in Ogun State.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect was reportedly in possession of a Chinese passport which had expired on November 11, 2023.
Following the arrest and completion of necessary procedures, the NPF said Zhang was repatriated to Guangzhou, China, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The Force said the repatriation was carried out under existing bilateral police cooperation arrangements between Nigeria and China.
The development underscores the role of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Nigeria in tracking and facilitating the return of foreign nationals wanted for alleged offences in their home countries.
It also highlights growing international cooperation in tackling the illegal exploitation and trafficking of endangered natural resources.
African rosewood, scientifically known as Pterocarpus erinaceus, is a valuable hardwood species that has faced intense exploitation and trafficking across West Africa.
