Police Repatriate Chinese Fugitive Wanted Over 12 Tonnes of Pangolin Scale Smuggling

By Johnson Arua 

The Nigeria Police Force has repatriated a 42-year-old Chinese fugitive, Cai Jinlian, to the People's Republic of China to face prosecution over the alleged trafficking of about 12 tonnes of endangered tree pangolin scales smuggled from Nigeria.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Ani Iniedu, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the suspect was returned to China through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, following his arrest in Abuja on July 18, 2026.

According to the police, Jinlian is wanted by Chinese authorities for allegedly coordinating the smuggling of two consignments of tree pangolin scales from Nigeria into China between November 2018 and April 2019. The case was uncovered during investigations conducted by the Anti-Smuggling Sub Bureau of Wenzhou Customs.

The statement noted that two of the suspect's accomplices had already been tried, convicted and sentenced to more than 14 years' imprisonment by the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang Province in December 2020.

Police further explained that Jinlian fled China to Egypt on July 12, 2019, prompting Chinese authorities to secure an arrest warrant against him on March 24, 2020. An INTERPOL Red Notice was subsequently issued on May 10, 2020, to facilitate his international arrest.

Investigations later revealed that the fugitive relocated to Nigeria around 2023, where he reportedly moved between Delta and Plateau states before intelligence operatives traced and arrested him in Abuja.

The police said Jinlian was repatriated to Shanghai on July 29, 2026, under existing bilateral police cooperation arrangements to answer to the pending wildlife trafficking charges.

Commending the operation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olutunji Rilwan Disu, praised the professionalism of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja team and directed the Environmental Crimes and Works of Art Team to intensify intelligence-driven operations against wildlife trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime. He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force's commitment to strengthening international law enforcement collaboration through INTERPOL and other strategic partnerships to combat cross-border crime and protect endangered wildlife.