The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement, saying the fugitive was arrested by operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, in the Ogere area of Ogun State on September 10, 2026.
According to the statement, Zhang was wanted by the Yangpu Sub-Bureau of the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Haikou Customs District, China, following an arrest warrant issued on January 7, 2021, over his alleged involvement in the smuggling of approximately 1,400 tonnes of Pterocarpus erinaceus, commonly known as African Rosewood.
The endangered tree species is indigenous to West Africa, while the alleged offences were committed between November 2020 and January 2021. The consignment was reportedly valued at approximately 15.7 million Chinese Yuan.
Iniedu said intelligence gathered by the Nigerian authorities subsequently established that Zhang was in Nigeria, where he had been residing in Ogun State using a Chinese passport that expired on November 11, 2023.
Following sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated investigations, INTERPOL NCB Abuja apprehended Zhang on September 10 before repatriating him to Guangzhou on September 16, 2026, in furtherance of bilateral police cooperation between Nigeria and China.
The development, according to the police, underscores the increasing use of INTERPOL mechanisms and international law-enforcement cooperation to track fugitives and combat transnational organised crime.
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 and capabilities in tracking fugitives and preventing Nigeria from being used as a safe haven by persons wanted for criminal offences in other jurisdictions.
The IGP further assured that the Force would continue to collaborate with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement partners to strengthen cross-border security, disrupt transnational criminal networks and ensure that fugitives are brought within the reach of justice.
